Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America
by CheshireInvisibility
Summary: The full and complete story of Cleo Chestra a young american witch who gets thrown into a fascinating world of magic and mayhem as well as a few other things at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. A completed novel.
1. Chapter 1

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 1**

**The Nightmare**

Charon was more of a force than a wizard, Like a burning powerful wind, when met up with a sinisterly cold on that created a tornado. Tomas Wakfeild had known, but could only learn in difficult and painful way.

Tomas was a young, untrained but extremely powerful wizard. Charon had sensed this like a bloodhound from the moment Tomas was born on that stormy night, and from that moment; Tomas was in mortal danger.

Although kind and gentle, Tomas was thought of a threat in Charon's cold eyes. If the boy ever conceived to use his powers in a way that might threaten him Charon could be defeated.

Tomas was young when he discovered his magical ways. He found himself skipping his chores, for when he went to approach them, the sooner he thought of it, they were done. Certainly he was slightly disturbed by it, thinking that demons from hell were coming to attack his family. So as a mer five year old he ran to his mother, tears streaming down his sweet, ashen stuck face, and desperately wrapped his arms around her safe legs. He sobbed to her about what was occurring, asking her to save him. He expected her to Neil down and hug him, say that God will watch over them all, and as long as he prayed hard enough the demons would go away. Instead, she took him up into her arms and starred at him as if he had done something wrong.

"Tomas, listen to me now child." She said, clutching his chin between her thumb and forefinger. "You must never, ever speak of this again, for there are people who will punish you my dear, and we mustn't let them hurt you." His lip trembled as he asked why they would hurt him. "Do you recall the burning a week ago my son?" He nodded solemnly. The girl had been burned accused of being a witch. Tomas was so frightened of her, and of the fire. But he remembered crying as he saw the desperation on her face, how sad she was. He didn't like the burnings. Suddenly he understood. He nodded again, signaling to his worried mother that he would never tell. Sense then he knew perfectly well that he was a wizard, he knew perfectly well that he was powerful and he knew perfectly well that Charon was going to kill him if he could. He hoped threw his life that he might lead one of a muggle, safe and out of reach of Charon, and his people's strife. Of course, that wasn't enough to trick Charon. He found Tomas as if he were shining white in a cloud of black.

Nevertheless, even by the time Charon had found him, Tomas was a man of 24, had a muggle family, and a wife. He simply couldn't risk their safety because of him.

That night Charon attempted to attack him in his sleep and informed Tomas that he would give him "a head start." Tomas knew what he had to do. Turning to his wife, that lay beside him in their bed, he explained his situation, at the risk of being burned, to his banishment, all of their safety. She watched him, a twinkling with her golden eyes. The silence caused Tomas to worry about the out come. She saw this and to reassure him she tenderly kissed him on his forehead.

"What are we to do?" she asked.

"I'm afraid that there isn't anything _we _can do." He admitted woefully to her. She looked down and nodded, she understood. With a last kiss he embraced her and left for what today is America.

The darkness of that night fit the raining atmosphere of his mind. He boarded the "Santa Maria," and climbed down below decks into the berth. There to greet him were a large amount of families, all huddled together. The sense of fear and excitement was thick in the air. Suddenly a shudder broke apart his pride as a tears warmed his averted eyes. Silently he crept past them and found a dark corner to enclose him and this thoughts. There he sat the entire time, he cried bitterly, forgetting the prying eyes of the other ship members.

He built his cabin, planted his food, and raised his animals all without contact to anyone, no matter how they attempted to make contact with him. Even though this may have seemed rood or odd to others it was really showing who much he cared for them, by not talking to them there was no risk to their lives. After his chores and prayers he would let the day slip by. He would sit in his room staring at the opposite wall, not daring to sleep.

One night while he sat thinking about his family a sudden cold swept over him, threw his throat and out threw his eyes. As he sat board strait and the felling left the sockets of his skull, he saw before them Charon.

Charon smiled quite nicely, but one could not extend on this for that was all you could see of him. The rest of his body was covered in a black cloak, including the hood that fell over his eyes. Tomas's mind focused and he leapt to his feet.

"Sit." Charon said soothingly. He might as well as shoved ice sickles down his throat by reason of it having the same effect. Tomas stood still and stared into Charon. Slightly grinding his teeth his eyes became hard and his thoughts determined.

"I told you to sit, now please, sit." He said. Rocks hit Tomas's knees, or so it felt, as he collapsed on his bed.

"How do you suppose I should kill you?" Charon asked him, teacher like.

"Imperius curse? Cruciatus curse?" He asked while walking around Tomas, Tomas did not turn to look.

"Or Avada Kedavra?" He whispered in his ear. Tomas turned to see the grin fading from his mouth, all though small traces remained in the corners.

"Oh, that's right." He said even more softly, almost a hiss. "You don't know what that means do you?" Tomas forced himself to keep his eyes on Charon, not to look venerable.

"Well, Let me teach you a little lesson." He walked back in front of the bed.

"The Cuiatus curse had already been demonstrated when you sat down." Tomas let out a rattling breath that he tried his very best to stifle.

"Now on to the Imperious curse."

_Don't think just do, Don't think just do._ Tomas said to himself. If he thought too long about what he was to do, Charon would surely read his mind.

"Now keep quite while I teach you a valuable lesson." Tomas clenched the bed sheets and watched Charon carefully. Charon slipped his corpses like hand behind his robes discretely, while the faint hints of polished wood appeared from beneath them.

"Impe…" Tomas leapt of his bed and flung his leg around Charon's. His plain worked splendidly. Charon crashed to the ground while his wand rolled around Tomas's hand. Tomas reached his fingers out and rolled them around the thin peace of wood. Skidding to his feet, he pointed it at Charon.

"IMPERIO!" he yelled most definitely. He saw then what Charon had in store for him, pain. Pain like he had never witnessed before. Charon's eyes rolled into the back of his head while squirming like he was having a seizure. Tomas stood staring in incomparable fear. As the terror took control of his body, his hand let the wand slip, fulfilling the biggest mistake that should have occurred in his life.

The moment the very tip of it hit the floor Charon thrusted out his arm and grabbed it before the rest of it had a chance to fall. He straitened up and shot it directly between Tomas's eyes.

"Foolish boy." He spat. "Imperio!" All Joints gave away as Tomas fell to the floor. All his mind was filled with was pain.

_Please let it stop._ He prayed. As if his prayer had been answered most miraculously, the agony was sucked out of his body. There was only time left for a grate sigh before Charon started to perform the spell repeatedly after that. At last, he stopped leaving Tomas to his withered body. Crumpled and sweating, the pains remainders rung in his sobbing mind. But the pain left from the curse wasn't all that was torturing him. What a way to fail! And fail was the only way to describe, he had failed and now the worst was to come. The coolness of tears began to mix with the salt of the sweat, there he cried, unaware and uncaring.

Charon's grate shadow laid apon Tomas withered body.

"A stupid boy to live the life of a Muggle. I was hoping a worthier appointee out of you." He shook his head woefully and smiled.

"Last lesson…

_Avada Kedavra!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 2**

**A Dream Come True**

Cleo Chestra sat at her window...dreaming. She was a young girl of 11 with long flowing brown hair, blond, red, and black hilights glistening among the curling tendrils. Her mother loved her hair dearly and allowed it to grow out, to the point that is dangled slightly below her knees. She had extremely large blue, clear eyes that made her resemble something of a Disney Princess creation. Her cheeks and nose were often flushed making her eyes all the more bright and giving her extremely rosy lips. Cleo was rather short and was destined to be so for the rest of her life.

She was… smart, but a different sort of smart than you usually think of. In a way yes, she did get adequate grades in her old Elementary school but still some things that she understood or thought about some people wouldn't bother to think about in a good long time. One of theses things being magic.

Her hart was content as ever when she began to read the "Harry Potter" trilogy. Not only, because she found that she wasn't the only one who had their own idea's about magic but because they seemed so wonderfully real! She found herself most happy when she was among Harry, Ron, and Hermione on their riveting adventures. They seemed to grab her hand and take her as far away from Ashland Virginia as possible, which she was grateful for.

Her family had just recently moved from Maryland to Ashland that summer. To say at the least she hatted it in Ashland. All her friends, all she had thrived for were in Maryland and her parents had insisted in on bringing her to this low life hillbilly town.

She felt stupid for it, and she knew if she knew someone that was like her, she would probably try to get as far away from him or her as possible. Still, her thoughts were in Hogwarts, and she simply longed to go there. She knew every spell in the books perfectly and practiced them often. Not to mention Cleo always seemed to have an uncontrollable urge read them repeatedly until she had practically memorized them! She even had a wand! Well, not really a wand like in Harry Potter with unicorn hair in it or anything, hers was simply a stick that she had found and whittled down with a kitchen knife into a sad excuse for a wand. Not that you needed to be told it didn't work.

Cleo now felt thoroughly disgruntled as these thoughts skirted about her mind.

"I wish I could go to Hogwarts." She muttered soberly to herself while she clung to her stuffed cat that she had named Crookshanks.

_This is just pitiful!_ Said a curt voice in her head. _Honestly, you wouldn't think you had a brain in your head! You should know nothing like that's ever going to happen! Its Fictional! Why don't you go call Lindsey? Go have some fun, it's better than sitting here miserable! _Some times Cleo hatted common sense. (Especially when it had a point.)

One good thing had happened in Ashland so far, and that was meeting the person she now called her friend, Lindsey

Lindsey was a lot like Cleo in the way they thought. She also believed in magic and simply loved the Harry Potter books, or at least the boy's how played the characters of Harry Potter in the movies.

Lindsey was much taller than Cleo with short, strait blond hair. She was fair skinned and had stunningly beautiful green eyes, and glasses to attractively frame them.

The thought of her friend did make Cleo fell better so she set down her cat and pulled herself from the chair set next to her window.

Sadly she closed her curtains and trotted down the spiral staircase into the living room on the left side.

Her father was sitting watching football. Cleo's Harry Potter was to his football so she didn't disturb him.

"Hi Dad." She muttered as she left the room. Mrs. Chestra was on the other side of the stairs in the kitchen making pancakes.

"Can I call Lindsey?" Cleo asked while she leaned against the wall. Mrs. Chestra, just now noticing her looked up, blinked, and turned back to her pancakes.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, now flipping one of the pancakes and reveling it to being serverly burned. Cleo shrugged carelessly and focussed her eyes on the opposite wall.

"I d'no. Guess go over to her house." Cleo's mother sighed, a sigh that Cleo wished to encore.

"Fine, call her." The first time in a while Cleo smiled and went back into the living room to retrieve the portable telephone.

Cleo turned the Corner and trooped up the stairs while furiously dialing the number of her companion. Two rings and then a cold deep voice greeted her.

"Hello?" It said. Cleo identified the voice to be the voice of Lindsey father. Cleo sat down on her bed and curled her hair around her finger.

"Hi, may I speak to Lindsey please?" Cleo asked sounding, much to her disturbance like a recording.

"Yea Cleo, hold on…Lindsey!" She could hear him say more distantly. An odd sound came which made Cleo think that he had set the telephone down. Another arose, like moving feet that got louder, until…

"Hello?" said a calm voice that Cleo couldn't mistake as none other than Lindsey's.

"Hay Lindsey." Cleo said falling back on her bed and looking up at the top of her canopy bed. "What's up?"

"Mmm, let me think. The sky, the birds, the trees..." Cleo shoved her head into the pillow and groaned.

"Err! I hate when you do that!" Laughing. Cleo waited until the laughter died before continuing the conversation.

"What to hang out?"

"Yea, ok. See you hear in five minutes?"

"Cool, bye."

"Bye." Cleo turned off her telephone and skipped down the stairs.

She skidded around the Corner of her stairs into the kitchen.

"Can you take me to Lindsey's house?" Mrs. Chestra set down the spatula and turned to look Cleo in the eyes.

"You know…why…fine!" She spun threw the door beside her to get her jacket. Cleo stood there a moment, wondering what he had done to upset her.

Quietly she pulled on her boots and slicked off to the closet next to Mrs. Chestra. Mrs. Chestra pulled her arm threw the sleeve of her coat and swiftly passed by her, making Cleo's hair that had come out of her braids flow passed her forehead.

_What's her problem?_ Cleo thought irritably. She snapped her coat on her and rushed outside to Mrs. Chestra.

She was already opening the car door and sliding in. Cleo moved towards the car and did the same. She sat down and Mrs. Chestra sighed. Cleo was tired of this and turned to her Mother.

She didn't even think about what tone her mother preferred or what she said to her, but Cleo hadn't done anything and she wasn't going to take this for no reason!

"You know, why you don't tell me what's the matter instead of being a complete…" Quite suddenly the wheel of the car spun around. Cleo's eyes shot from to the wheel then Mrs. Chestra how had her hands up in the air.

"What the?" Screeched Mrs. Chestra. The car shot back into the street. Both of their backs slammed against the car seats, as they looked stunned at the empty street.

"What happened?" Gasped Cleo as she slowly turned her head to look at her frozen mother.

"Nothing." Mrs. Chestra said eventually. "I didn't do anything." They sat there a while in their country road until another car's horn beeped at them.

Cautiously her Mom's fingers reached for the clutch and slowly the car moved forward. They both let out a sweeping sigh of relief. They seemed to be on good terms after that although they were silent threw out the rest of the ride; perhaps the terms were simply based on the thrill of survival.

Their smooth road soon turned into a dirt one and their shopping centers turned to large forests. They had now reached the countryside, Beaverdamn it was called, where Lindsey lived.

After what seemed like millions of tress, the driveway to a large house appeared at which point they drove towards it. It must have been that Lindsey was watching for them because the minute the car pulled up in front of her house she shot threw the door of her house and meet Cleo halfway. She was smiling when Cleo raced up beside her.

There seemed to be more of a glow about Lindsey today. Her feet hardly seemed to reach the ground. Cleo said goodbye to Mrs. Chestra and the both of the girls galloped up the stairs to Lindsey room.

Lindsey's room is what Cleo liked to call "The sanctuary of a artiest." On the wall next to her door, she had posters from the Harry Potter movie that had come out that year. Cleo always screeched when she caught a glimpse of her favorite poster, of Rupert Grint. He played Ron, her utmost favorite character. And she reminded herself with a giggle if Ron weren't fictional character; she most likely would have a pitiful crush on him. On the next wall, where the only window of the room was, were two or three pictures from the movie, about a million pictures of Linken Park, System of a Down, and Avril Lavine, but the rest were drawings Lindsey had made. Beside that was a desk and another in the Corner. About these were scattered magazines and pictures but the most wonderful of all was the four Harry Potter books laying, among the rubble, neatly on the desk.

Lindsey picked up the first book and grinned.

"His first year at Hogwarts." She murmured.

"Yea, don't you wish we could go there instead of Liberty Middle school next year?" Asked Cleo with a growl, as she pushed some paper aside on the bed and sunk into it. Lindsey eyes flashed when she turned to nod at Cleo.

"Mmm." She said in agreement and turned back to look at the first book. "What kind of animal would you have?" She asked suddenly. Cleo looked up at Lindsey, confusing causing her to examine her face more closely out of curiosity.

"What?" Lindsey didn't notice the impeccable stair but instead answered her question casually.

"What animal…er…would you bring to Hogwarts," Then quickly stammered "if you could go?" Cleo looked around the room in bewilderment. She expected Lindsey to ask a question more like " Who would you Bang? Sean Biggerstaff or Daniel Radcliff?"

"Owl." Cleo said as if it were obvious. "They're useful too."

"Good idea." Lindsey said nodding. This was most out of Lindsey normal behavior and much to Cleo's surprise it continued threw out the day.

"How long do you think the stairs wait before they movie?" She asked as they sat and listened to Linken Park.

"Flitwick, how tall exactly do you think he is?" Lindsey pondered aloud another time while they ate cake and sprayed Cleo with a considerable amount of frosting.

"Do you thinks Dumbledore ever dyed his hair?"

"Why do you care?" Cleo asked, now annoyed with all these questions.

"Thought it might be…cool to know." She said, and became quite interested in a picture of Sean Biggerstaff.

Lindsey suspiciously transitioned back to her normal self, even though for the first time ever one of their activities were reading the Harry Potter books for two hours. Cleo couldn't help but feel Lindsey was hiding something from her, least to say she didn't enjoy the felling. She decided that it would be best that she keep a close eye on Lindsey.

Lindsey and Cleo were in a chat group for Tom Felton (Lindsay's favorite actor) when the doorbell tragically rung. Cleo and Lindsey both sighed mournfully as if the sound announced an execution rather then the ride home; Cleo's Mom was most defiantly there.

"See yea." Lindsey said. Lindsey pulled herself up from the chair and moved towards the stairs. Cleo regretfully did the same. Mrs. Chestra stood at the top of the stairs, smiling the welcoming smile of forgiveness she often had lovingly put on.

"Well, see you at Liberty." Cleo dolefully sighed. Lindsey eyes flashed ones more, but one couldn't be completely sure because of her glasses.

"Bye." Lindsey said and turned back to the stairs to go down to the basement while returning to the beloved computer.

In the ride back home, the question that had been troubling Cleo finally spewed out of her mouth without really meaning to.

"Why were you mad at me this morning?" Her mother paused, perching her lips as they turned a corner, when they rounded around it, she inevitably sighed.

"I wasn't mad, I was just frustrated." _Why do parents always say that? _

"You always wont to rush away from us! No matter what I do you don't seem to care at all!" Her Mom broke off and was silent. Cleo felt it as the guilt rose deep from within her heart and rose into her tingling cheeks. She had never intended to make her Mom feel this way, she had never knottiest it before or ever thought how this might affect her family. Still there was no point in apologizing; it would just get her Mom thinking further.

"I'm glad your home." Mrs. Chestra whispered to her. Cleo smiled. She hatted that silence that seemed to yell at the both of them.

The more pleasant atmosphere about them lingered, even when Cleo's mother told her to gather the aggravating mail. Cleo crossed the street and opened the scorching metal box. She shuffled threw the mail in a bored routine. There was a Sports magazine, what looked like a bill and a thick letter that was made of light parchment. She was across the street when she saw this rustic letter, suddenly clutching the breath that so naturally would wish to arise.

To Miss. S. C. Chestra

Second largest bedroom

1096 Hunny Suckle St.

Ashland, America

She knew exactly what this was. But…it must be a joke; theirs no way…is there? With out even being aware of it, her feet began break loose into a trot, then a run, and then a full on sprint until at last she slammed threw the front door to confront her oblivious parents.

They were sitting silently watching a television program, unaware of her new discovery.

"Finally! That sport issue came!" Cleo's father said smiling up at the mail. Mrs. Chestra was the first to notice the peculiar letter.

"What is that in your hand?"

"It's a letter Mom." She said handing it to Mrs. Chestra. As Mrs. Chestra took it her eyebrows began to cross, as it often dose when she is thinking. Her mouth began to open, almost like she wished to speak but the words would not properly form. Turning to Mr. Chestra, who was looking down at it good naturally at the letter with little interest, the sounds began to gurgle out of her throat.

"I…it…erm, it almost looks something like those Hog…!" Her head shook quickly, almost with frustration before looking back down at it. The moments passed in increasing uneasiness until Cleo stepped forward and reached for the letter. Mrs. Chestra studied her face before deciding to hand it over. Slowly Cleo turned the letter over with her fingertips. All three of them let out their own little sound of astonishment. The Hogwarts Crest was on the back.

"It's a joke." Cleo's father said definitely. "It's a joke, no way could this be the real thing."

"It might." Cleo said meekly.

"Stephanie Cleo Chestra don't be ridiculous! There's no such thing as…" He stopped and looked at the letter.

"It just couldn't be." He said finally. Cleo licked her lips when she felt the excitement increase. Trying to embrace the moment, she tore open the crest and pulled out the first peace of paper.

Dear Miss. Stephanie (Cleo shuttered at the sight of her first and dreaded name.) Cleo Chestra,

We are pleased to inform you that you among the few first American Wizards have been excepted to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hagrid the schools gate keeper and Care of Magical Creatures teacher will visit your home August 23 and discuss the situation with you.

If you agree to come to this school, He will then take you to purchase your school supplies (that are listed in the next sheet of paper.) and escort you to school. The school year will begin September 1.

We would like your answer to be decided by the time Hagrid returns.

Yours sincerely,

_**Professor Minerva McGonagall**_

Professor Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Cleo finished reading and gave it to Mrs. Chestra to look at.

"They don't give up easy do they?" Her father spat with frustration of the preposterousness of it all, while at the same time he leaned over to look at the letter himself.

"I guess we'll find out August 23." Cleo said while she watched her parents for a reaction. Mrs. Chestra looked up from the paper with an expatriated look on her normally cheery face.

"But this really could be dangerous Cleo. How do we know this isn't just some horrible trap?" Cleo didn't need Mrs. Chestra to remind her of this chilling hypothesis.

The worst part about it was that it was all too likely. _This sucks!_ Cleo always thought that if she got this letter that she would be happy, and celebrating with her family, not worrying weather they were in danger or not!

Her thoughts wouldn't be settled until tomorrow, August 23. She awoke on the opposite side of her bed than she normally sleep on. She apparently was tossing and turning a lot that night. She had a dream that a man came that day and kidnapped her from her parents. A trembling breath hardly made it out of her mouth.

_Well_ said the annoying voice in her head that she normally attempted to restrain_. Your never going to find out if you don't go._ Cleo nodded and pushed herself of the bed. (This was a little difficult because she was tangled about her blankets.) She found herself aching to lay back down. Her head almost seemed to be weighting the rest of her body down.

_Fine, just chill. This might turn out to be ok._ She thought, but not very convincingly. She stumbled about her bed, looking for suitable clothing for this…particular accession. She found the pants her brother donated to her, baggy light and comfortable, with a black shirt. She figured if she was uncomfortable inside, she might as well fell comfortable outside.

Her parents were down stairs, silence weighing down on them. Her father was in the living room watching "Sports Reporters" while Mrs. Chestra walked in with a large mug of coffee. Cleo tried to smile at them but they didn't seem much in the mood.

"Are you going to have some breakfast?" Mrs. Chestra mumbled. Cleo began to say yes but then shook her head. Mrs. Chestra didn't make augment this morning. Instead she turned back to the television and took a sip of her coffee. (It had no cream in it Cleo knottiest with a frown.) Cleo sat down in the rocking chair beside Mrs. Chestra, then got up again. She wasn't sure what to do.

_Maybe I should go wait at the door for Hargid. _Then it hit Cleo harder than ever, as if some one had chucked a boiling ball at her head.

_How was he going to get here?_

_Certainly he wasn't going to fly in on a flying motorcycle or something like that; it was broad day light! Though, Sirius's motorcycle was really cool. On the other hand, perhaps it would be floo powder, but it could not be. The only reason the Wesley's got to Harry's home was because Mr. Wesley worked directly with the ministry and could work out the kinks, Course Dumbledoor could always work something out, if he could. Hargid couldn't do that could he?_

Cleo stood there thinking (Reminding herself with a sneer how pitifully well she knew those books, like some real hopeless fan.) when suddenly a sound like a canon sounded right behind her. Cleo was so startled that she screamed and knocked into the rocking chair. With a tumble the chair and her body both collided with the floor.

Mrs. Chestra flung herself to Cleo's side and screamed higher than Cleo was sure possible. She rapped her arms securely around Cleo, as Cleo herself, burred her face into those arms. Mr. Chestra just sat transfixed at the cloud of smoke that was before his daughter and his beloved wife. After most of the shock was finished, Cleo and Mr. Chestra looked as well. The cloud of smoke was starting to spread around the living room but one peace seemed unable to move. It was only then Cleo realized that it wasn't smoke she was looking at (Although there was quite a lot of it.) It was the figure of a man. But she couldn't see how, it was so horribly large and seemed to have trouble fitting in her living room!

The dust started clearing and Cleo saw that man was, waving the smoke away with his enormous hand.

"It's him!" Cleo shrieked, jumping up but soon being pulled down by her mother. It was by no mistake Hargid in all his glory.

"But it couldn't be!" Mrs. Chestra gasped under her breath.

"Oh Honestly mother who else could appreciate like that! And theirs no way any human could even dress up to be that big…no offence." Cleo said kindly to Hargid how looked a little uneasy.

"I didn't mean ter' of startled yer' or nothin', it was either that or floo powder." Hargid gave a shudder, taking the house with him as he did.

"Mind not telling' any body at Hogwarts 'bout that, I'm not…"

"Supposed to do magic, I know and don't worry I wont tell." Cleo ushered him. Hargid didn't seem to mind the all knowing comment and smiled down at Cleo and Cleo smiled back. (Her neck did hurt though from having to look up so high.) Both of her parents seemed to have been tuned to stone until this moment when Mr. Chestra stood up.

"How are we supposed to pay for this…Hogwarts?" Cleo turned around to look at her father.

"You're going to let me go?" Cleo asked, rather amazed that he was going along with this. Mr. Chestra gave a week grin.

"Well yeah… I mean how much more proof do I need to know this is the real thing?" He asked with a supposed chuckle and uneasy glance at Hagrid. "The problem is getting you there." Although this was a pressing question the riddle seemed almost trivial to her. Cleo was overflowing with bubbling pride that her joy cascaded over into her fathers pondering arms, embracing him as if it could not truly express her gratitude.

"Oh thank you!" Cleo walled as she squeezed tighter to her father. "Thank you!"

"You welcome." He smiled; patting her on the head, obviously unaware of the glory that was the situation. "But to get you there." He said in a more thoughtful tone.

"Dumbledore told me how much Muggle money it was going ter' be." Hagrid's booming voice informed them.

"How much?" Mrs. Chestra asked fretfully, obviously over the shock.

"Er…let me think…2,000 L and 22 pence…er…cents." Cleo's heart then seemed to travel down her esophagus and land with a splashing _CERPLUNK_ in her stomach. $5,045 and 22 cents were not often acquired easily. Mrs. Chestra gazed at her husband, such in the manner of questioning, begging for a solution to such a plaguing problem, even though he returned the desperate expression. Cleo sprung from her gloomy state at ones, again spewing forth possibilities.

"My bank account!"

"What?"

"I have loads of money in my account!" But much to Cleo's dislike, Mrs. Chestra shook her head.

"That would only break the ice…but." Mrs. Chestra looked up at Mr. Chestra again with an expression Cleo couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Collage savings?" She said softly. (Hagrid looked a little confused.) Mr. Chestra shook his head more savagely at this.

"But that's for her… collage!" He moaned.

"But I won't need to go to collage." Cleo insisted, becoming increasingly worried that her dream might disintegrate over such at thing as money. "Hogwarts is full Wizard training!"

"And the best Wizard trainin' at that." Hargid puffed proudly. Cleo smiled at him. Mr. Chestra stood with his shoulders hunched and grinding his teeth, as if trying devour the entire situation and digest it into nothingness. However powered his teeth were to become the three on lookers only seemed more real with every second of anticipation. At last his teeth came to a stand still and a sigh released from that mouth, nodding with a slight glint sparking in his eyes.

"Alright then. I'll go take the money out of the bank." He said quietly, as if still not used to the idea.

"No need sir." Hagrid interrupted suddenly, causing the whole family to jump. "Greengots can take it out for us, Dumbledore already explained our situation. He just needed you permission." Mr. Chestra seemed even more shocked at this, and even Cleo had to admit that this seemed like some wonderful dream. Mr. Chestra put his hand in his pockets and looked from one extremely different expiration to the next. He looked at Cleo last whose smiling face hardly expressed the excitement that effervesced up from her stomach.

"Well, go get your stuff." Cleo could felt her breath clench. With a quick nod, she threw her self up the stairs and into her room.

Grabbing the biggest suitcase she owned, she shoved her cloths, diary, pictures, and stuffed cat Crookshanks into it until she had immense difficulty jostling it all in. Cleo looked up on her white dresser table and saw that she was about to forget the most important thing, her Harry Potter books! Feeling immensely stupid, she seized the four heavy books and by feats of great…magic perhaps…she some how she managed to fit them in. Closing the case with a satisfying SNAP, she took it by the handle and then possessed to dragging the monstrous load down the stairs.

After much strain and effort Cleo accomplished her goal in getting the suit case down the stairs, and which point Hargid took over, picking it up as if it were nothing more then a toothpick. Cleo saw her two parents creep behind Hargid to look at her. Without warning she felt something she didn't expect…sadness. She hadn't given much thought to the fact that she wouldn't be seeing her parents all year, except for breaks of course.

Hagrid seemed to sense this and was silent, he's beetle black eyes filled with a mixture of disconsolation and great restraint, the look of memories from long ago shining in his eyes, such as the time he left his father for Hogwarts.

"So…so I'll guess I'll be seeing you." Cleo said shyly, like she had already been gone for so long. Mrs. Chestra nodded and made a sort of whimper that brought Cleo back to when her mother had said goodbye to her oldest brother, Andrew, when he went to collage. She rapped her arms around her and rocked back and forth for a moment until it seemed Mr. Chestra would wait no longer for his turn. He stood strait and proud although his eyes seemed to suggest other wise. Deeply blue they were with tears that shimmered like the waters of Greece. He suddenly hugged Cleo hard and kissed her on the check. Cleo guessed he wanted it to be quick so it wasn't too hard.

With one last hug from her mother, Cleo waved good bye as a tear trickled down her pail face. Hargid took Cleo's hand (this Cleo hadn't knottiest because she was still gazing at her parents) and appreciated. Cleo had come to realize this with a grate shock and practically leapt on Hagrid. It felt as she was flying in an aircraft… without the craft. Cleo didn't have a chance to examine this however, because the next minute she was some where else.

She was at Lindsey house! But she found this out only after the smoke had cleared. The shock was over whelming similar to the reaction of Cleo's family. Lindsey was on the Corner of the couch and was clinging to the edge. Her older sister, Steph was beside her and had her hand on Lindsay's arm. Mrs. Edward's was sitting in an easy chair with a plate of food on her lap and a fork beside her foot. All of them were starring bewildered at Hargid.

Hargid seemed now used to this reaction and began to speak.

"Hello, I'm…"

"Lindsey!" Cleo screeched at the sight of her friend. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to Hogwarts!" Lindsay's hassle eyes turned to Cleo and almost pooped threw her glasses.

"Why didn't _I _tell you I was going? Why didn't _you_ tell me you were going!" Insisted Lindsey, now on her feet.

"So that was why you were asking me all those stupid questions about Hogwarts, and you didn't even tell me!"

"Neither did you!"

"I didn't know!"

"Well you do now!"

"What the flip is that supposed to mean!" Cleo and Lindsey were barring down on each other in a most sinister way, abolishing Hagrid's positive outlook of the visit and instead was slowly shrinking into a hobbit like state of fright. Much to all's amazement, before one could distinguish the change there was laughter spewing from the two girls as they embraced.

"I can't believe it! Were going to Hogwarts!" They said similar things for at least five minutest until Lindsey ran into her room to get her things. There was the familiar scramble for belongings that Cleo had just done only a few minutes ago. They could both hear the routine explanation about money and the situation of Hogwarts.

Lindsey was fitting her second Harry Potter book into her suitcase when she looked over at Cleo in a thoughtful way.

"Cleo, why are we going to Hogwarts?" Cleo who at the time was trying to push some of Lindsey clothes into another case looked up, (clothing spilling out) and needless to say a little confused.

"Because were Witch's." Cleo said as if it were apparent. She felt a slight tingle up her spine after hearing her sentience. _I'm a witch._ The normally annoying voice said gleefully in her head. Lindsey however didn't get the same sort of reaction. She was still looking at Cleo in a searching sort of look.

"But doesn't America have a school for wizards?" Cleo starred at her blankly for a moment. The question had seemingly never crossed her mind before, now causing an all to appropriate frown.

"It is a little odd isn't it?" Cleo thought allowed. Lindsey had a hungry look on her face as if unable to be wondering any longer. "Suppose we just ask Hagrid, someone's going to have to tell us some time!" Lindsey had reached her decision (Judging by the look) and agreed to ask Hagrid after they left. They both struggled, but managed to drag the suite cases into to living room were Hargid and Lindsay's family sat.

The atmosphere was much different from when they had left it. It was calmer and almost excited. Steph was grinning broadly and taking long deep breaths between her teeth. Mrs. Edwards looked solemn but pleased. Lindsey set her suite case beside Hagrid's enormous foot and looked about the room at her mother and Sister.

Their goodbye could not have been more different. There was a trickle of tears from Mrs. Edwards but other wise they all seemed thrilled beyond words. After Lindsey gave a cheerful goodbye to her mother Mrs. Edwards turned to Cleo. Cleo smiled at her but did not begin to expect that Mrs. Edwards would hug her!

"Good Luck Cleo!" She whispered in her ear. She steeped back and smiled.

"Thank you Mrs. Edwards." Cleo said awkwardly but soon smiled. Steph told her to have fun and before Cleo could respond, they had appreciated. Lindsey gave a slight shriek but seemed to be having fun all the same. With a small Pop, they landed in a little room; rather plain with dirty white walls. There was a stone fireplace in the center of the wall in front of them and two small beds. Beside each of the beds was a table that had a pitcher of water and a glass.

"Dose someone live here?" Lindsey asked, noise wrinkling.

"No ner't really. Is ther' Leaky Cauldron." Hargid explained. Lindsey expression still hadn't changed in the slightest. Cleo couldn't have been more excited herself.

"Honestly? We're in the Leaky Cauldron?" Hargid looked down at Cleo with a pleasant smile.

"Yea' heard of it eh?" Cleo nodded happily. "It's a good thing yea' like it 'cause your gonna be here for a while."

Cleo knew she probably sounded silly to be excited over sleeping in the Leaky Cauldron but :squeal: It is! A thought suddenly struck Cleo.

"Are their butter bears at the bar?" Hagrid nodded absentmindedly. "OH! PLEASE, can we go get some! I've always wanted a try!" Lindsey gave her a smirk and nodded.

"Ooh, good idea." The three of them trooped down the narrow dark stairs

"Do you really think we should be having a beer right about now?" Cleo whispered to Lindsey.

"Screw it." Lindsey said with a chuckle, Cleo giggled.

"Well this is…" Lindsey stopped while she looked a around the pub "charming." She said finally with a sarcastic glance at Cleo, Cleo tittered. Hargid seated himself at a stool (That looked as if it were about to bend under the weight) while Cleo sat beside him and Lindsey beside her. Tom came up to Hargid and smiled a toothy grin, or it would be if he had teeth.

"Hello Hargid, who are these lovely ladies?" He said directing his smile over to Cleo and Lindsey. Cleo beamed back.

"Hogwarts Students." Hagrid said with a seemingly contagious smile.

"Well than what will we be having?" Tom said promptly to Cleo and Lindsey.

"Butterbeer." They said in harmony, followed by laughing. Tom grinned, nodded and left to get their orders. Tom came back with their drinks (Slightly leaning to the left because of Hagrid's) and gave it to them in seconds. He slipped them on the table, or rather dropped them and walked off with his shoulders forward.

"Cheers." Cleo said lifting her jug to Lindsey.

"Cheers." They clicked them together and drank. Cleo felt pure sweet warmth swim threw her body. Lindsey have a violent shutter as her eyes popped open.

"Damn!" She said, awe stricken looking at the jug. Cleo laughed so hard her stomach hurt. Hargid had a hard time containing herself as well. The three of them sat, enjoying the drinks thoroughly, even Hargid dissipate the fact he didn't have his normal brandy. They drank until their eyes grew heavy and Hagrid insisted that they go to bed.

"But it's so early!" Cleo whined groggily. Lindsey dragged herself behind Cleo up the stairs.

"Nah'" Hargid said when he opened the door to their room and pushed them in. "yea' had quite a day. Besides we're gonna be getting yea' stuff tomorrow." Cleo nodded and slipped into her bed still fully dressed. Lindsey got in the bed beside her and took of her glasses. Hagrid hesitated, but slowly pulled the sheets over Cleo, then Lindsey.

"I'll be next door if yea' need me." He said stepping back. Cleo looked at him threw closing eyes.

"Goodnight Hagrid." She drowned.

"Goodnight Hagrid." Cleo could hear, but not see Lindsey say for her eyes had closed now.

"Goodnight." He said simply and left. Cleo would have expected that in this sort of situation, where she's just been dropped into her favorite stores with her best friend that she would be eager to talk. However both of them seemed to have been drained of their energy from the day and had hardly began to say goodnight before they were asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 3**

**School Shopping**

The next morning Cleo awoke to the prodding of a hesitant finger in her arm.

"What the…?" Cleo muttered as she pulled her covers towards her head, rather annoyed that she would be awoken so early in the morning.

"Time ter' get up." She recognized the voice as Hagrid's and wrenched her eyes opened.

"Good luck getting Lindsey up." Cleo with a sigh. Hargid turned to look at the log that was Lindsey.

"Lindsey! Wake up!" Cleo yelled in her direction.

"Screw you." Moaned Lindsey from her pillow.

"We need to get our stuff Lindsey." Argued Cleo.

"Could we do it in another hour?"

"You can, but me and Hagrid are going." There was a pause in which mutters of disdain emerged from the piles of covers, and then they were flung to the end of the bed to reveal Lindsey with a scowl already apparent even before her eyes had opened.

"We'll be ready soon." Cleo said in a more cheerful tone to Hagrid. Hagrid's furry face formed into a smile, shook his head jokingly and left. Probably in record time Cleo and Lindsey dressed to go and were off.

"Fine, ferst' thing were gotta' do is get yer' money." Hagrid said thoughtfully.

"Greengots!" Cleo whispered with a squeal. Cleo and Lindsey linked arms as if they were about to except an award and marched behind Hagrid.

The bank was even more glorious than even the Harry Potter Movie could show. Much to Lindsay's disgust the goblins were far more revolting than the movie as well. Cleo practically skipped up to the counter (This Lindsey put a stop to a quickly as possible) As an extremely ill-featured goblin looked down at them. Cleo guessed that he was on strangely large stool to have accomplished this. He looked up at Hargid, and then more comfortably down at Cleo and Lindsey.

"Dumbledore told yer' that some muggle money was to be sent here and transffer'd into Wizard's gold." Hargid said, professionally with a sent of gleeful pride.

"Yes." The goblin said in a rattling creek that was enough to make your throat ache. "It was sent over by owl last night." He …or it explained.

"Well then," With a cheerful glance at the girls,

"We would like ter' open two volts for these girls." The goblin nodded and made a gesture with had, summing Hargid to fallow him. A grave look crossed Hargid, perhaps more of a green. Either way he didn't look pleased. Cleo and Lindsey began to fallow but he held them back.

"Yer not gonna wont ter' come. Trust me." He knelt down to ear level and whispered with a grimace "Papers." Cleo looked over at Lindsey who agreed that it was more likely best just to sit. Falling mechanically in a bench directly under them they looked after Hargid (still doing it as if choreographed) until he was out of sight. Cleo grinned over at Lindsey. Lindsey smiled back.

"Isn't this exciting?" Lindsey shook her head with giggling under her breath.

"You couldn't be happier could you?" Cleo gasped in a hurt AKA surprised way.

"How ever could I manage not to be!" Lindsey continued to giggle and smile. Hargid boomed in after a very long time, looking sweaty and red.

"Living he " He muttered under his breath without a glance at Lindsey and Cleo. Cleo gave a funny look over at Lindsey like she was about to laugh, got up and pivoted to fallow Hagrid. They followed like a silent shadow behind Hagrid's enormous figure.

Cleo started to wonder about where they were going, and even Lindsey who was being so contained looked about for any answer to their ware about's. It had been very long and both Cleo and Lindsey would not have been opposed to have Hagrid tap some wall with his umbrella to reveal a bar or something where they could have a drink and sit down.

Just as this was becoming an all to propionate thought in Cleo's mind, he stopped. There before them, in a sunken in train track sat a little rickety cart, waiting to make its travel down into the great endless depth where their volt hid.

Of course it wasn't too enjoyable for Lindsey and Hagrid. Lindsey even threatened to cruse the goblin, as soon as she got her wand. But because the cart was so wonderfully fast they were at their volts in no time. Hagrid gave them their money and they were able to go; sadly they still needed the cart.

After that ride they left Greengots with immense joy and set out for the stores. Both Cleo and Lindsey moods had changed for the better and were actually rather anticipating the buying feast.

"Where should we go first?" Cleo asked Lindsey, excitement clear in her cheery voice.

"Robes." Lindsey said defiantly. Cleo gave a small squeal of excitement and clapped.

"Madam Milkin's is right over there." He said pointing. Cleo grinned at Lindsey and spend of in the direction of Hagrid's finger, neck in neck with Lindsey.

The race was getting tighter as the store came into closer view, the door only a few feet way, two hands stretch out of the door knob and the two girls fall in threw the door. Laughing and giggling the girls helped each other up and went over to the counter. Madam Milkin was looking at them like aliens when Cleo and Lindsey came up to her giggling.

"Robes…Hogwarts…please." They both managed to say threw the hysterical laughing. Miniature Madam Milkin eventually nodded.

"Of course…" She said with a quick roll of her eyes, as if to say 'the freaks would come looking for robes wouldn't they?' "Could you please fallow me to these stools and stand on them."

Madam Milkin finished measuring them, jotted it down on a peace of paper and got the fabric. Cleo watched with interest as Madam Milkin took the fabric and lifted her wand. The fabric sparked with life rose into the air, slowly, like it had just woken from a long nap. Then she flicked her wand over at a measure that measured the fabric. Magically, thread and a needle began to sow the fabric onto a gorgeous robe in a matter of minutes.

"Wicked." Lindsey muttered.

"Bloody Wicked." Cleo agreed with a puff of a laugh. Madam Milkin seemed pleased by the fact she had an audience and rather skipped over to Cleo. Cleo's eyes (if possible) grew larger as she took the robe that slipped gracefully threw her fingers.

"It's the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen." Cleo said thankfully. Madam Milkin smiled her first smile at them and went on to Lindsey. Cleo slipped it on over her thank top and s8er boy pants. (Her ensemble causing quite a comical sight.) She ever so slightly turned about so to have the robe make an attractive swishing sound around her ankles, and Cleo couldn't help but feel attractive in return.

Lindsey's measuring was finished and Madam Milkin went on with her magic. Lindsey sat down at the stool and smiled at Cleo (Cleo still enjoying her robe)

"Wouldn't in be awesome if Draco came in right now?" Lindsey asked, her face seemed considerably lighter with excitement. Cleo lifted her eyebrows and smiled so hard her face hurt.

"How about this." Cleo said, sitting down herself and turning over to watch her. Cleo lifted her hands up to her head and put them in a sort of triangle shape.

"If I got a black hat that did this?" She said and tilted her hands to the left, making them slanted. "You know like Professor McGonagall's, kind of have it tilted over my eye." She said with a grin.

"Personally I'm going traditional." Lindsey said in a superior way, and slightly lifting her chin while stating this fact. Madam Milkin handed Lindsey her robe and folded her hands.

"On to hats." She said with a girlish tone. Cleo nodded and the two of them (or maybe just Cleo, Lindsey didn't seem that open to such an act) simply skitter along side Madam Milkin. Cleo got her tilted hat and Lindsey her traditional. Madam Milkin turned out to be quite the good shopping partner and helped them pick out the ideal hats. Then last (but certainly not least in Cleo's opinion) was there dress robes. When Cleo pointed this out to Lindsey, she shook her head.

"No, you don't get those until your fourth year." She Knowledgeably.

"No!" Cleo urged on. "It says right there on the list… 'You will require a dress robe for formal accessions.' " Cleo said stubbornly and tapping the sentence. Lindsay's eye brow raised and she peered down at the list from above, apparently deathly against admitting her mistake.

"Must be a requirement for all students now." She said with a shrug. Cleo gave her a "whatever" look and followed Madam Milkin to the dress robes.

Cleo found the BEST dress robe in the history of time! It had a solid baby blue under layers then clear baby blue fabric that faded into green at the end over top of it. At the bottom, the layers ended randomly giving it a wonderful flowing effect for when you walked. This it did the same on the sleeves, flaring out steadily into the random endings. Although rather meekly Cleo had to admit that hers was much nicer then Lindsey's. Lindsey's was green with a black shine to it, but other wise it was very plain. Lindsey didn't seem to mind plain however. (Cleo wouldn't even begin to try to resist her urge to dress up a little; she was just that way.)

Cleo and Lindsey paid and left with enormous shopping bags. Hagrid meet them (looking rather awkward when he saw the shopping bags) and lead them to the bookstore.

Cleo's stomach clenched. _Spell books, I'm going to be learning spells, How glorious!_ Cleo smiled hard at Lindsey and marched over to the bookstore, her bag thumping against her leg. It was like a gold mine! A gold mine of fabulous foreign knowledge…knowledge she had been simply craving for. Both of the girls split apart almost instantly, seizing books and flipping threw them.

"Look Lindsey!" Cleo screeched at her and thrusting a book under her noise.

"What?" Lindsey spat.

"Magical hair care!" she squealed. "Mom isn't going to be able to do my hair, and neither will I, but look!" She flipped threw the book.

"De-frizzing charm, braiding spell, ooh glossy shine potion!" Cleo shut the book (snap!) "It's fabulous! In addition, they are so simple! Look I can do this for the feast!" Cleo said opening the book again and pointing to a soft body wave.

"How awesome would that look with my hat?" Lindsey looked at the book then at Cleo.

"Do you have enough money?" Cleo clutched her book to her chest.

"If I don't I'm swiping it!" Cleo sniffed and shuffled off over to the schoolbooks. With her book still tucked under her arm she pulled out her list of schoolbooks for reference, but found something odd.

"Lindsey," Cleo called "come look at this." Lindsey groaned and sauntered over to her.

"Look," Cleo said ones Lindsey was close enough to see her list. "This isn't first year school books, or study's! This looks as if it that might be for Divination!" Lindsey didn't take much interest into it.

"Whatever." She said carelessly and skimmed down the rows of books to find _Defense magical theory._ Cleo and Lindsey collected their books with much enjoyment. And…

"Look, I do have enough!" Cleo said, blue eyes shinning as she flicked the glittering coins around. Cleo and Lindsey stepped out of the store with their new purchases and sat down on a bench.

"All done with books?" Hagrid asked when he came back.

"Mhum." Cleo said and showing him her book. He leaned over so he'd be able to look eye to eye with them.

"Well, If yer not to busy buying, won't some lunch?" Cleo sat up straighter and nodded eagerly.

"What kind of food?" Lindsey said in an interested voice that took Cleo by shock after all the cool attitude. Hagrid seemed just as pleased as them and practically scooped Cleo and Lindsey from the bench to a charming little cottage. Threw the stone door and in the parlor was a small circular table where an attractive woman in her late 20's was standing.

"Good Afternoon how may I help you?" She said in a rehearsed clear voice when they had all approached.

"Lunch Please Amelia."

"Of course Hargid, would you fallow me please?" She walked out from behind her desk and over to a small circular table at the left of her.

"Please sit here and your waitress will be with you momentarily." She nodded; felling her work was finished and walked back over to her desk.

"This is simply beautiful!" Cleo told Hargid while turning around in her seat to look threw the window. Outside she saw a Wizard in a hooded cloak. As she looked else where he looked up and starred, Cleo did not pay attention. It was so difficult to pay attention to one solitary thing for an extended time. The house was a Victorian home; very well kept. There was a large slopping ceiling, panted dark brown. In the left center of the wall next to Cleo was a stone fire place, that inhabited a merry crackling fire. The fire gave an already welcome feel to the home that Cleo felt, couldn't be the work of magic alone. Hargid was looking out the same window as Cleo had begun with, but acknowledged her comment.

"Yea, I like it to. I try to come when I have the money, and the company." He said with a smile directed towards them. "Besides, they have ther' best wine." He said smacking his lips slightly. A woman glided over to the table as Cleo could see out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look all the way she couldn't help but gasp. The woman was not really a woman at all, she was a ghost! She was old and in a Victorian house cleaner uniform. Cleo watched with her mouth hanging open a little as the woman came and lifted up a note pad.

"Welcome and hello." She said in a careless drown.

"Hello Peggy." Hargid said, braking her speech. "How's the family?" She blinked ones and then looked down at Hargid. (She was floating high above the table) She focused on him, then got the board look back into her eyes.

"Fine." She said plainly. "You would think though, that after I was _dead_ they would have let me _retire_." Raising her voice slightly at the words "dead" and "retire" so that Amelia would hear. Then as if wondering why she even tried, she shook her head woefully and went on with her job.

"Is there anything I can get you to drink?"

"Sure." Said Hargid looking into his menu. Could I have some of you're home made wine?"

"Home made wine." She said scribbling it on the pad without looking down at it. "And for the girl with the disturbingly long hair." Lindsey looked over at Cleo in the corner of her eye and smiled. Cleo wasn't exactly sure on how to respond on this so she just sputtered out her order.

"Er…water?"

"And for that girl next to her." She said pointing her pencil at her.

"Lindsey." Lindsey corrected her. "I'll take that water too." She handed the menu to Peggy, that simply fell threw her. Peggy looked down at it with the least amount of caring you could imagine. She seemed to have grown tired of silently mocking Lindsay's Acton after a moment and left without bothering to pick it up. They finished their lunch and continued their day.

Cleo had been most looking forward to going to get her wand, which was next. As she was usually, she was curious to see what Mr. Ollivander looked like, and how it would feel when the wand chose you.

Walking down to the store, Cleo could already fell the magic generating from it. With little thought towards it, she trotted up to the store and inside.

It smelled like her grate grandmother's old house. Everything seemed to be molding, except for the wands that were displayed beautifully around the walls. Cleo stood in the middle of the room, and slowly rotated in order to properly absorb the magnanimity of them._ Dude! They're so many!_ Then, when she turned back around to the front; she was shocked to find two gray eyes were directly in front of her face. Cleo screamed at the top of her lungs, causing the owner of the eyes to step back in shock.

"Cleo! What you yell'n about?" Hargid called to her while slamming threw the door.

"He was…Popped…close…personal bubble!" Cleo babbled as she huddled close for comfort to Hargid while pointing in front of her. Hagrid laid his hand on her shoulder in a way he thought was soothing but rather made Cleo practically collapse. Lindsey laughed like mad although the man in front of Cleo hardly found this at all amusing. He was indeed Mr. Ollivander but he looked immensely rattled with his bony hand over his hart and the other clutching the desk behind him.

"A mild wand then." He gasped after a moment. Cleo gave him an uneasily smile and stepped forward.

"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Ollivander, you just startled me so…"

"I understood that much." He said weakly. "So the quite girl first please." He said pointing over to Lindsey. Lindsey grinned over at Cleo and stepped forward to meet Mr. Ollivander. (She seemed to be having trouble containing the laughter that was wrenching in her throat.) Cleo didn't even won't to watch. _How horribly embarrassing! _The voice moaned. Hargid looked down at her and sighed.

"Yer can scream pretty loud now can't yer?"

"Thanks." Cleo said sarcastically

"Awe, it's noth'n fer' yer ter worry about. Don't blame yer, Ollivander's cooky." Cleo laughed. _Ahh sweet laughter, how uplifting it can be_ and that's exactly what it did for Cleo. Hagrid explained when he had gotten his wand, how Ollivander continued to comment on Hagrid's size, and weather Hogwarts would allow him to come. Cleo felt horribly sorry for Hagrid but with all the curses he said about Ollivander Cleo couldn't help but laugh. Their conversation only stopped when Lindsey let out a yell.

"Why it do that!" Ollivander's blood pressure seemed to be at breaking point by now.

"Lindsey! What on earth is the problem?" Cleo asked as she scurried over to meet her.

"My arm! I took the wand and my arm felt as if it were on fire!" Lindsey yelled. Ollivander resumed the position he was in when Cleo had screamed and talked very hoarsely.

"It's phoenix feather 6 inches, and it's meant for you!" He told her. Lindsey looked down at it and shrugged carelessly.

"Oh, alright then." And sauntered back over to Hagrid. Cleo on the other hand inched her way over to Mr. Ollivander.

"If we must." He said with a sigh. _Honestly! I'm not that bad am I? _Cleo thought indignantly. "Let us see here." He said while scrolling down the many rolls of wands.

"Why don't we try this one Unicorn hair 8 inches, careful now." He said fearfully. Cleo snatched it from him.

"NO!" he said and seized it back from her.

"Honestly! I won't bite!" She snapped. She could hear Hagrid and Lindsey snicker behind her.

"Fine then." Mr. Ollivander said with yet another sigh. "Perhaps we should try this one. Phoenix feather 12 inches." Cleo took it in her hand and felt nothing. Cleo frowned and shook her head.

"Not right." She muttered. Ollivander clicked the back of his teeth.

"Well I could…it might…hmmm." He muttered.

"Pardon? What was that?" Cleo asked, leaning into him. Ollivander looked at her threw the corner of his eyes. He seemed to be inspecting her.

"A moment please." He hobbled over into a little room behind his desk. Cleo hadn't the slightest idea what he had in mind, but then if anyone could figure out what was concocting in his mind it would be a miracle! After a moment of craning her neck, she saw that he had gotten something and was coming back. He was caring an elegant wand case with red wood that shined even in the musty light of the store. Cleo watched as he brought it to her.

"It's my master peace." He ran his fingers along the box gently. "I would hate to give it up…," He said looking up at her, and she could tell her really meant it. "But," He admitted with a wistful sigh "it might fit you." He opened it up to reveal a lovely red wand with a pink shine. Carefully, as if it were made of glass he picked it up and laid it in her slender pail hands. She let it roll a minute, just enjoying the feel of the smooth wood.

"What is it?" she asked. He looked down at it with glittering eyes.

"That is what makes it so spectacular." He said in a low whisper, like he was telling a secret of the utmost importance. "Its Unicorn hair _and_ Phoenix feather. I have spent years perfecting it, utterly perfect." Cleo took a deep breath and gripped the wand elegantly. She lightly "swished and flicked" and to her surprise, something happened. It didn't feel like burning, It didn't feel like tingling it felt like…like excitement, like she felt before a play started.

"It's perfect." Cleo awed "Utterly perfect." She promised him when she looked up at him. Mr. Ollivander starred at her with a look that Cleo couldn't bare to identify. He looked extremely sad, as if he was giving up his darling child to a witch… or …something.

"Probably for the best." He crooked. "Its good for charms it is, but powerful enough to match the strongest of wands, I think it will suit you fine." His lip trembled. Cleo looked down at her shoes and pulled out her money.

"So …there you are." She said placing it on the counter and taking the wand. Cleo sneered at Lindsey and gave her a _lets go PLEASE_ look that Lindsey didn't even begin to ague with.

"How dare you get a better wand then me!" Lindsey said Jokingly.

"Well, it's probably good in different ways, but not better." Cleo said, but thinking in the back of her mind, _I'm special I got his master peace!_ It was wonderful though! The felling she got when she was holding it…it was as if she were meeting Rupert Grint! Cleo started fanaticizing about this but Hagrid brought her jolting back to reality.

"Owls." She heard.

"What was that?" Cleo asked urgently.

"Owls, time ter' go get yer' pets." Hagrid told her with an uncomfortable look just as though he worrying about her sanity. Cleo turned crimson and looked down at her feet. Never the less Cleo romped over to the pet's shop enthusiastically. Truth be told she had never had a real pet. Her family and herself were often gone so they really couldn't afford to be looking after animals, although she did have fish, but Cleo would have trouble caring less.

Of all the other stores, the pet store was a greatest of adventures; even the fish were much more interesting! _The grate singing bass!_ She read above an extremely disturbing fish, seeing that it looked almost exactly Sammi Davis Jr.

Lindsey hadn't even bothered looking at the fish, rather she speed of strait towards the owls. Cleo admitted to herself this might be a wise decision walked of behind her.

Cleo was looking at the assorted animals good naturally when she suddenly halted. Under her feet was some sort of unpleasant substance that Cleo did would rather not classify. She looked about for the source however and as she looked above, she saw the most brilliant sight ever! Above her were owls! So many owls you couldn't even see what color the ceiling was! The most remarkable thing about them was how different they were!

Cleo had always been a little disappointed that the owls only came in Tawny, Barn owl, and Snowy but no, they were nothing like that in the least! They looked like they contained all the colors of the world in their glossy feathers.

She examined them all individually (her eye catching all the white ones in particular) but then her eye caught a different owl. Cleo didn't think she had seen anything of the sort before. It was brown with Blond, red, and black feather's scattered about randomly. It must have sensed Cleo's stair because it turned it's head completely around to stair back at her. Even from the ceiling, Cleo could easily see it's large blue eyes. _Dude._

Cleo awed at it. Then as if she had summoned it, the bird flew down to Cleo and landed on her shoulder, like Cleo already owned her. Cleo turned her head opened mouthed at it. The owl almost seemed to have a smile around its gold beak.

"Dude! Your Awesome!" Cleo said while stroking its feather's down its back. The owl closed it eyes in comfort. Cleo gave it a smirk.

"You knew I was going to buy you didn't you?" The owl opened it's eyes nipped her finger. Carefully Cleo walked down to the desk where you were to buy your pet. There stood a woman who seemed that she had been immensely provoked while she whipped something from her arm.

"Want to buy that?" She barked at Cleo while pointing to the owl. Cleo stopped at starred at the woman. _Goodness what friendly service!_ The owl clicked its beak at the woman in response.

"Yes, please." Cleo said mockingly. She quickly paid for the owl and left the woman to her own miserable state. Cleo walked to the front to the store with her new cage dangling from one arm and her owl perched on her other. Gently she sat down on a bench and stroked her owl tenderly.

"How lovely you are." Cleo told her sweetly. "Now what do you suppose I name you?" Her owl opened one of its eyes and closed it again as if it were to say_ Name me what ever you wont._ Cleo thought a moment. This was such a remarkable bird so it deserved a proper name. What surprised her most though is how much it looked like her, for an owl. It even seemed to think like her, ones again for an owl.

"I think…," Cleo said slowly "That I'll name you Stephanie, it's my first name. You just seem so much like me." Stephanie looked at her and seemed to almost telepathically talk to her_. Obviously! Why do you think I chose you as my human?_ Cleo liked this owl. Lindsey suddenly appeared with a black owl perched on her left arm.

"Isn't he cool?" She said with little knottiest to Cleo's owl.

"What did you name him?" Cleo asked while Lindsey sat down beside her.

"Tom." She responded carelessly.

"Oh, you mean like Tom Felton." Cleo understood, or so she thought.

"No, like Tom Riddle, he looks like him, don't you think?" Cleo gave an involuntary shudder that shook Stephanie, who screeched indignantly.

"Why!" Cleo exclaimed. "What a foal thing to name it when you're going to Hogwarts! That's horribly bold of you to do Lindsey and not really smart either."

"Well I'm not afraid of Voldimort!" Lindsey told her stubbornly

"And neither am I!" Cleo protested "But naming him that doesn't exactly reflect kindly."

"And do you think I actually care about what other people think? I've never cared…" She began to say something else but Cleo interrupted her.

"You should when you name him after the most feared dark wizard of this time!"

"Cleo, no one even knows that Tom Riddle was Voldemort's name."

"Yes but we do!" Cleo yelled at her. "You know perfectly well that you're just trying to be impudent!" Stephanie snapped her beck at Tom as if agreeing with Cleo. Lindsey looked as if ready to give another argument but Hagrid stepped in.

"Got yer' pets?" He asked cheerfully, successfully braking the atmosphere.

"Yes." Cleo answered and tried to set aside their argument. "Look," She said lifting her arm to show Hagrid Stephanie. "Isn't she Beautiful?" Stephanie nipped her finger.

"Lovely." Hagrid agreed with her. Lindsey tried to avoid Hagrid asking her about her own owl by putting Tom in his cage.

When they stepped out of the store the sky had already set and the stairs smiled down at them. She let her body relax in the enjoyable felling of the cool night sky on her face. Cleo and Lindsey still hadn't made up from their augment but didn't give anymore attention to it. This in Cleo's option was probably the best she could get out of Lindsey next to a apology because Lindsey, when she had her mind set on something she didn't give up easily. (No matter how nonsensical it was.)


	4. Chapter 4

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 14

"Its game time!"

The replacement game was only a matter of days away. The Slytherin team insisted that it be the next day, but Madam Hooch allowed them more time to train Cleo. Slytherin just said they were cowards. Lindsey took part on this by taunting Cleo every time she came close to her.

"Are you sure _you_ weren't the one hit by the Bludger? You must be crazy thinking you could play Cleo!" Cleo was fingering her wand then but Hermione took her by the arm and led her to their History class.

Threw out all of this Angelina requested extra practices…EVERY NOON AND NIGHT! But who's mad? By half way in the week Cleo was a real prow at her job, and wouldn't let a Bludger slip threw her fingers. Angelina had no doubt in her mind that they were gonna win. And not to toot her own horn, but Cleo agreed, and for the teams sake they had to!

The only problem they had was that Cleo was still in need of a broom. She had been trained on Harry's Firebolt but the very idea of using the school's broom during the game made Cleo sick! Harry assured her that they would give her one soon enough but as the days passed and the game drew closer Cleo was beginning to loose faith.

She was sitting at breakfast, re-playing plays in her head when mail came. Stephanie flew in as usual and started picking at her bacon.

"I swear you're the fattest owl in the inter school!" Stephanie hooted proudly and went back to Cleo's breakfast.

"You know, instead of pigging out you could try bringing me my broom." Stephanie encored her except for a sarcastic hoot when a large bran owl flew over her and dropped an enormous sick of wood.

"Oh! I see how it is! Lay all the hard work on another owl!" Cleo pet Stephanie and opened her package for Hermione, Ron and Harry to see. There it was, gleaming gold was her own personal Firebolt 2!

Harry gasped.

"A Firebolt 2! Cleo I hate you!" Ron laughed.

"Finally someone with a better broom than Harry!" Harry sneered at Ron. Ron kissed Cleo and Hermione scram out…

"I don't think you should ride that broom yet!" Cleo ended the breathless kiss quickly and turned to look at her.

"What's the matter with the broom?" She laughed at Cleo and looked at Ron.

"Well look at him, why would you wont to ride that!" Ron grew extremely red at the comment.

"Oh, no you did not!" He said girlishly as he lifted himself from the seat to Hermione but Harry pulled down his arm.

"Put a lid on it Ron! Come on, spontaneous practice, were going to try that thing out!"

"And let you have a spin on it hu?" Cleo asked with a laugh. Harry nodded vigorously.

The broom was a dream! Not only did it look better than the original Firebolt, but it flew better. The trickier point of the other broom, such as turning and spinning were abolished. All Cleo really had to do was think it and before she was aware of it, she was turning! Quite a large improvement.

Harry awoke her brutally on Monday by shaking her. Cleo smacked him in her sleep and sat up.

"Get your uniform on and get on the field, its game time!"

"How the hell did you get in here?"

"Hermione showed me how, little trick with the want, common, were gonna be late!

"At 5:15?" Cleo spat savagely.

"Come on! I've got you up earlier than this before! I just never told you." He muttered. Cleo leapt from her bed and started pummeling him with her pillow.

"Get out of my dorm!"

"Good, I can see your arms in shape!" Harry said while he reached for the door.

"OUT!"

She was out on the field a half an hour latter.

"Now team," Angelina said importantly "One of our members aren't with us today, but I'm positive that this new team will do just as well. We've worked hard over the past few weeks and were going to win! Right?"

"Right!" The team shouted loud enough to echo in the empty stands.

"Right! Now lets go and win!" They went into the locker room and waited, mostly talking over plays and things before the game started.

It started at 10:00 on the dot, announced beautifully by Lee's voice boomed over the chatter of the crowed.

"Ready team?" Angilina asked. Cleo felt the excitement rise in her chest. Harry grinned down at her.

"Alright, here we go!" The door to the locker room banged open. Cleo mounted her broom and flew out with Gorge.

"After the injury of Grifonder team's Fred we have a new replacement beater, CLEO CHESTRA!" Cleo grinned when the Grifonder crowed roared. She spun around in honor and flew back along side Gorge.

"Although Fred can't come to the game he will be watching the game from a transmission in the hospital wing." Lee announced "Give him a wave Grifonder!" Cleo waved hard with her club. The crowed made letters with their wands that said **Hi Fred! **** **Cleo could just imagine his smiling face.

"And hears the Slytherin team." Lee groaned. After all the commotion over Fred Slytherin didn't get all nice of a welcoming. The ones happy writing in the stains turned into **BOOOOOO!****** Cleo laughed good and hard so that the disgruntled Slytherin team could hear her. Madam Hooch flew up and called them to gather around her.

"I wont a clean game, from all of you!" Cleo sneered over at Derrick and Bole, the two nasty looking beaters of Slithering team.

"Be careful Mam, wouldn't wont to brake a nail." Derrick said.

"Same to you young lady." She taunted back. He spat on the ground and focussed back on the ground. Gorge patted her on the back. The snitch brushed passed her ear and zoomed off some where, Cleo decided to leave that business to Harry. Next came the Qwoffle. The chasers dashed after it, leaving Fred and Cleo to dart them to get the Bludgers that came up last. One Gorge went for right away, the other had disappeared. Panic grew in Cleo's stomach, she just lost the Bludger, what would happen if she couldn't find it!

Suddenly Cleo found it! But not where she wanted it. It was currently attempting to pin Alisha as she grew closer to the goal posts. The primal defense built up in her little body and like an animal, went after it with strength imaginable. She thrusted the club up against the ball, only secents after speeding towards it and smacked Derrick upside the head with it.

"Oh! Do you won't some powder for that?" Cleo laughed at him.

"Alisha is taking that Qwoffle to the Slytherin goal post, might wont to get her Slytherin Chasers! NO! NOT QUICK ENOUGH! SHE GOT IT IN! 1 to 0 Grifonder." Cleo let a whoop out before she hit the Bludger out of her way. _Whats that? _The Bludger came back to her, with Charon's face grinning on it as if it had been printed on to it. She laughed.

"HA! You picked a bad time show up buck-o!" She battered that Bludger so hard it went speeding into the ground and got stuck there! "TAKE SOME OF THAT!" she screeched down at it. The Bludger wriggled to free its self hopelessly from the sticky mud ground. Fred hit the other Bludger out of the way and gave Cleo a high five.

"Nice!"

"Like wise!"

"And what's this? Potter's making a brilliant dive!" Cleo saw a squint of gold flay passed her and Harry just inches away from it.

"Get it Harry! Get it Harry! Cleo barked viciously. Suddenly a blur of green came up Harry's tail.

_Ooooooh! Malfoy! _ The same Bludger Fred had just gotten rid of was flying around over her head so quickly she came level to it and swung hard in the direction of Malfoy's glistening white head. Missed! It flew in front of Malfoy, but it did stop him long enough to brake his eye contact with the snitch. Cleo took a deep breath in relief.

Just as Malfoy got the clue that he should keep going Harry caught the snitch and there was a tremendous roar!

"Harry Potter caught the snitch! Grifonder wins the game!" Cleo screamed and flew over to Harry who had his hand up high in the air. She drove her broom into the ground and with a thud stumbled into his heaving chest. He rapped his arm around her waist, helping her up with a grin. Cleo laughed as her feet properly made contact with the ground, and let the roar of the crowed sink into her.

"We did it Harry!"

It crumbles

Her victory was still fresh in her pride. It took hours for them to get the Bludger out of the ground and now every time they took it out it still seemed to be dizzy. Cleo would laugh about that often, she only hopped Charon felt that!

Now that the school year was drawing closer to spring the teachers were working them harder than ever for O.W.A.L.S. Hermione did her usual study planners for them, although Harry, Cleo, and Ron completely ignored them. Cleo had gotten a refreshing boost of confidence and felt she could take on the world, much less O.W.A.L.S! Some people she knottiest weren't as confident.

Hermione had started getting quieter and more solemn than normal. She was often bitter, especially when Harry would be gone some place. (He had been strangely busy lately.)

Cleo was getting ready for bed when she confronted Hermione on this.

"What's up Hermione? You seem a little down lately." Hermione was silent.

"Well?"

Hermione blurted it out quickly, although the way she said it, it sounded painful.

"I'm worried about Harry and Me." Cleo turned around in her seat to look at her.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione frowned

"His eyes just seem more distant now. And we don't hug or kiss or anything like that like you and Ron do!" Cleo tilted her head.

"Harry's not a very touchy person, most guys aren't."

"Yeah, well we still seem to be drifting."

"He's been preoccupied lately, it might just seem that way because you haven't seen him as much." Cleo compromised. Hermione still looked doubtful, leaving Cleo option was to sigh.

"Listen, why don't you try getting some sleep. It may seem better in the morning. I'll see myself if theirs and obvious differences in him K?" Hermione nodded woefully and slept.

The next morning Cleo helped Hermione straiten and curl her hair. (She put her own hair in a loose braid so her natural curls hung over her fore head.) And they went down to breakfast.

Ginny and Harry were already down there, eating waffles and conversing with each other. (Ron was still sleeping, being the weekend.) Cleo smiled and skipped over to Ginny.

"Hay girl, haven't seen you much!" Ginny's little brown eyes smiled when she hugged her.

"Hi."

Hermione waved to her. Harry glanced over at Hermione and smiled awkwardly.

"How have you been?" Cleo inquired. Ginny's eyes were dancing.

"Perfect! Just splendid!" she said breathlessly.

"Oh yeah? How So?" Ginny's smile faded when she turned around look at Harry questionably. After some telepathic talking to Ginny, Harry nodded and asked Hermione to come over next him. Hermione's eyebrows twitched in a confused manner when she went over to sit beside Harry. _Don't worry! It will be alright! _Cleo's thoughts ushered Hermione. Harry spoke quietly; to Hermione so that even Cleo's sharp ears couldn't catch it.

She wished she had, because the next second Hermione looked simply horrified and turned a bright red. Tears steamed down her cheeks when she leapt from her chair and ran from the Hall. Ginny bit her lip and looked at Harry.

"Wha…?" Cleo rambled. Harry looked up sadly and shook his head. Cleo turned, then swiftly skirted over to go get Hermione.

When she found her she was curled up under her covers crying.

"Hermione! What happened sweet one?" Hermione kicked off her covers and sat up.

"He dropped me for Ginny!" Cleo sat silently. Ginny? Well, she had preferred Ginny going out with Harry while she was reading the books, but she never wonted to have Hermione be hurt!

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry!" Cleo rapped her arms around her; Hermione's tears soaking into Cleo's black Pokka dot dress. It almost seemed hours as Cleo rocked her then at last her tears subsided.

"I just don't understand Cleo! What did I do?" She sobbed.

"Nothing! Don't think that!"

"Then why has this happened!" She demanded. Cleo starred at her hopelessly.

"It just wasn't meant to be I suppose." Hermione shook her head and continued crying. That's when the hart breaker himself appeared. He was slipping threw the door and Cleo tried to motion to him to leave but he didn't.

"Hermione?" She lifted her head slothfully and spotted him. Her eyes flared and she looked away.

"Your not supposed to be here, you could get in trouble."

There wasn't much talk between Harry and Hermione after that. Ron was informed that day of the brake up and the only good that came out of the silence between Harry and Hermione was it gave Ron and Cleo more time to strategize.

"We can't let them go on like this! It will brake up our friendship!" Cleo said to Ron. He nodded agreeably.

"I know, they're both just so miserable! I don't think Harry meant it to be so hard on her."

"I know! Hermione isn't usually this emotional, but I'd probably be the same way if it happened to us!" Ron shook his head.

"That wont happen." Cleo smiled at him.

"How dose Ginny feel about this?"

"Well she sure isn't singing! She feels just as bad, been crying too."

"Well why didn't she think of that? She knew Harry and Hermione were going with each other!" Ron scowled.

"Cleo! She can't help how she feels!" Cleo breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry…I just wont us all to be happy again."

Hermione came downstairs with red eyes and cheeks. Cleo jumped up and hugged her.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione looked up at her and frowned.

"Hermione, Harry didn't wont this to happen this way." Ron spoke desperately. Hermione's eyes got soft and moist again.

"Oh, please don't cry Hermione, it will be alright!" she nodded and sat down. Harry was about to come down the stairs, but took one look at Hermione and turned around.

So went on for weeks! Harry and Ginny would sit together, then Ron, Cleo and Hermione on the end.

There was no speaking.


	5. Chapter 5

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 15

Not much there

The stress over Harry and Hermione was unbearable! Cleo hardly ever got to talk to Harry these days, only when they were in Divination. Cleo sat down at their usual table and smiled at Harry.

"Haven't gotten to talk much over the past few weeks." She said, trying not to make it sound like the conflict was something as temperamental as her going some where. He frowned.

"Maybe if you and Hermione stopped being so stubborn we could get over this!" Ron said with sudden viciousness. Harry snapped his head up at Ron.

"It's not my fault!"

"Its just as much your fault if you do nothing to stop it." Cleo pointed out motherly, and then lowered her head. Harry said nothing and stayed away from the subject of Hermione.

It seemed however, that they weren't the only ones with relationship problems. Hermione and Cleo were walking down the hall to go to History at which moment they saw a crowed around two girls.

"Oh no! Not another Slytherin fight!" What Cleo didn't expect however that it was Lindsey and Pansy Parkinson!

"You just stay away from Malfoy get it?" Pansy spat wickedly.

"I can do anything I like! And obviously Malfoy has taken to me instead of," She stopped to scan Pansy over "You." Pansy growled and pulled out her wand. Maybe it was Cleo's natural instinct to help anyone in need, or she just didn't want to see Lindsey road kill but she did it all the same.

"Stop!" Before Cleo was aware of it she had stepped in front Lindsey and Pansy. It could have been her just her realizing that what she had done, but Cleo had felt a rush of cold and weight lifted from her small body. Hermione gasped. Cleo turned around to see what Hermione had gasped over and saw. Her hair brushed against her arm; at a shorter length then she ever remembered having.

Cleo shrieked after she realized what happened and swerved on Pansy. Cleo felt like blasting Pansy, exploding into tears or just stand their looking at her beautiful red, black, and gold locks laying around her feet.

She had lifted her hand to strike her but stopped. Her lip trembled and ran passed Lindsey to Hermione. Some of the more obnoxious girls laughed.

"Too afraid to fight?" One of them called. _To little moral? _ Cleo thought as tears scanned her cheeks. Hermione stroked her back (normally she petted her hair). Collectively Hermione moved over in between Lindsey and Pansy and gathered the hair with a flick of her wand. It twisted into an enormous braid and laid softly in her outstretched arms. Hermione very slightly sneered at Pansy and walked Cleo up the stairs to Grifonder tower.

(She said that they could explain to their teacher the situation, Cleo was immensely grateful) Hermione let her cry on the bed while she comforted her, just as Cleo had done. This went on for a half an hour or so, until Ron had made his entrance.

He was very red (almost steaming) with a blood thirstily look apon his long face and a cut above his left eye. Harry came in after him. He had a bruise on his chin, still rising and a long cut on his arm.

Cleo looked up from Hermione's arm, where she had burrowed in and confronted them, motherly. Ron shook his head and growled.

"That little (RON!) Got her payment for this! She'll think twice about messing with my girlfriend!" Cleo realized he had beaten the absolute crap out Pansy and began to snicker.

"You didn't honestly get in a fight with her did you Ron?" She said threw gasping breaths.

"No," he admitted, "Harry helped me!" Harry beamed delight at his recognition while Cleo clapped her hands.

"Harry! You should have been holding Ron back!" Hermione scolded. Harry shook his head.

"No, a weeks detention isn't enough punishment to keep me and Ron from giving her what she deserved. Ron sat over next to Cleo and hugged her.

"Are you alright baby?" He said affectionately. Cleo nodded.

"Yeah, Its better knowing I have friends that care enough about me to go beet someone up." Harry sat over next to her.

"Were always going to be friends. Right Hermione?" He said slowly over to her. She was still looking disapprovingly at him but soon her eyes softened.

"Yeah, always."

He's here

At last Harry and Hermione had cast away their bitterness and were on speaking teams, about time! Cleo was about to smack them, see if it got any sense into them. Except for the fact that Harry was going out more with Ginny, it was just like it was before! One thing that was not surprise to Cleo was that Ginny was not included into their group. She was merle 'Harry's girlfriend and Ron's little sister' and even though Cleo liked Ginny she agreed that it was best.

The news about Cleo's hair spread around like a wildfire. Completely random girls were gobbling what was left of Cleo's hair (It reached her elbows now) and whining.

"It was so pretty!" They would say and go on talking about their own hair and saying how _they _wouldn't cut it if they were her! Like it was her fault!

Ron and Harry were in detention for a week or so, but Pansy was in for a month! Not menacing all the rood remarks from the Hufflepuff, Grifonder, and Ravenclaw houses. It took all of Slytherin to stand up to them. Cleo didn't really like the whole rivalry thing between the houses, but she did she couldn't deny that she felt special everyone cared so much.

Soon, but slowly everyone got over the commotion and classes (and O.WA.L. studies) were back to normal.

Charms seemed to be the happiest of all. Professor Flitwick was ecstatic with glee and more than happy to take time out of her day to help her with her new spell. It was a spell that could transport people to different countries! It was so neat, and Cleo got the hang of it quick!

She simply couldn't be happier herself. Not to mention Spring time was the best time to her. Every weekend Cleo badgered Hermione, Ron and Harry to go outside. (Classes were rather stuffy.)

They were outside this day. Harry and Ron were conversing about some gibberish, (nothing interesting) Hermione was reading "Magical Me" and Cleo was laying on her stomach staring at the peaceful looking forbidden forest.

How lovely it seemed, the sweet chirping of the birds, sun glistening on the shinny leaves of the trees. She just had trouble believing anything so beautiful could be so dangerous! Sure, there were all these Spiders, and senators and everything, but as long as she stayed away from the very deep part of the forest she could avoid the Spiders, Senators aren't dangerous and all that about Werewolves was just talk sense Lupin had left. (At least that's what Cleo thought.) She was just convinced nothing could go wrong, no certainly not.

"…'Yall" she said thoughtfully

"Yes?" Hermione answered for them.

"I think…I think I might go into the forest." Hermione grabbed her arms tightly like a flash of light and turned it a lovely, but violently sick purple.

"Get off!" Cleo said, wrenching her arm away. Hermione shook with her sweet caring fright.

"Cleo don't you even think about that!"

"It's so dangerous! You can't! You don't know what's in there!" Ron screamed at her. Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Oh honestly Ron, Spiders gonna scare you?" Ron shuttered.

"8 foot tall ones yes!"

"Ron, just use logic!"

"And you can talk!" Harry said scanning over her.

"Just stay away from the deep of the forest! Senators aren't dangerous, and all that about Werewolves is silly!"

"Cleo stop being Juvenile! That just all we know_ so far!_ There may be other things!" Harry told her off. Cleo did her usual smirk when she thought she knew something.

"Bring my wand then." She said, flicking it up to show them. Hermione's purple faded into a sudden, good shade of red.

"Cleo, as your friend I FORBID you EVER to go in there." Cleo was a little blown back by her contumacious.

"Alright." Beyond her words the evil, Cleo leered.

She simply longed to go in there. She missed the forest, often at home she would stay in forests for a long while and this was the only forest in all of Hogwarts.

As Cleo allowed the muted thoughts of sleep cross over her that night, the mischief idea of the forest re-awoke her the bluntness of being awake. Cleo couldn't sleep when she thought of this, even when she tried so hard to let her thoughts wander back into sleep, nothing else helped, nothing else could fill her mind, nothing at all.

Slowly she took of the covers and dressed. With a last check that Hermione wasn't awake she put on her cloak and swept out of the school.

It was completely black outside, except for the glittering stars that seemed to blink down at her with confusion, as if asking why she was awake. Quietly and quickly she moved into the Forbidden forest.

It smelled sweet and any form of something frightening was wasted on her, it was just too wonderful then!

She needed to find the perfect place to sit. At home she had a large Rock to would lay on and read a book. Many hours were spent there. She determined that it was too difficult to find anything in this light so she turned on her wand. Something stirred but Cleo choose to encore it. Finally she found a commensurate sitting spot. She pulled out a book she had brought along "The Witches" by Ronald Dole. Silently she sat, reading about the poor mouse when yet another thing moved.

_Leave it alone, you mustn't disturb it. _She told herself. Still the creepy feeling was ticking her back. All at once something grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into itself. She began to scream but its large hand gripped her mouth.

"Don't scream." A soothing voice whispered. "It would molest the future if I were to hurt you." Cleo nodded to signal she understood and turned to look at the creature. It was Firenze! He was standing magnificent, yet benign. Cleo breathed deeply in relief but he seemed to resent it.

"Foolish!" he scolded "Coming here when Mars is so bright! Don't they teach you warning sighs in that school!" He stopped abruptly, said too much Cleo guessed. Cleo put on a serous face out of courtesy.

"Sorry, no." Firenze frowned.

"Why are you here?" he said powerfully.

"Hogwarts is so cold sometimes, there isn't a bit of nature in it! I missed the forests, and this was the only one in the inter grounds…" he stopped her there.

"That doesn't make it any less dangerous, especially at this time and especially for you."

"Why for me?" Cleo asked, or course she knew why, but there was more she wanted to know and he may be able to tell her, she could weasel it out of him, maybe, hopefully. He starred down at her, so powerful, sweet and some what frightening. She felt the sudden shame rise from her stomach and cloud her mind until Cleo nodded obediently. Firenze gave a nod in return and looked to the edge of the forest.

"You're close enough to the brink to get out yourself. Take heed, and be observant. You're too very important to be so careless my child." Cleo felt a little weight at the bottom of her hart when she turned to go on. Quite randomly, the thought then struck her to ask what a bright Mars might mean when she found that Firenze had left.

Now the Forest seemed almost creepy after he warning, but the edge was close and she held on to her courage as long as she could. She looked up at the heavenly stairs that soothed her so, many more coming into view as she went on. She could even see some of the planets, including Mars. She stopped rigidly to stair and felt the fear grip in her thin throat.

Mars was bright, and even if it was just her imagination it seemed grim and evil. She began to fidget with her hair and seemed unable to move. A torturous scream rung in her mind. _Oh gosh, this isn't good, come on move! _A grate force swept over her body like ice cold water. _MOVE! MOVE! _ Tears groped her throat as the sudden clutching nails of Charon grabbed her around the waist.

"I have you now!" He said in an exhausted, triumphant way. Of course now Cleo could move. She kicked and screamed; hitherto silently pulling out her wand. Charon seemed too worked up with her struggling to knottiest the wand creeping closer to him.

"Get off me! Get off! _TransportaretoAUSTRALIA!" _She said so quickly she feared it wouldn't work, But it had! She had transported him to Australia! _Ha! Those Australian's will take care of him, that's for sure! _She looked back up at Mars. Disappointment made the brightness dull, and Cleo smiled.

Even though Cleo was tired and sore from her expiation, she made it to the girl's dormitory quickly. The thought of bed was good right about now.

As she opened the door, she saw something that she hadn't expected. Rather then a dark room filled with sleeping girls it was a bright room full of awake girls. Hermione, Patty, and Lavender were all together whining and frantically talking to each other. At the sound of the creaking open door Hermione turned and gasped.

"Oh my gosh!" She ran over to her and flung her arms around the stiff Cleo.

"I was so worried!" She said when she released her. Patty and Lavender hugged only seconds after.

"We were too! Where were you?" Cleo felt ashamed and didn't wont to tell, but what else would she say.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Go on back to bed 'yall. Its too late to be getting so worked up." Lavender made a puppy face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Cleo laughed.

"Yes of course!" She hugged them again. "Go on! We have to Study for O.W.A.L.S. again tomorrow." They at long last left to bed and left Hermione and Cleo to themselves in darkness. Hermione sat on her bed and examined Cleo.

"What didn't you tell them?" Worry crossed her innocent face "will you tell me, wont you tell me?" Cleo bit the inside of her lip. Yes she at last said, she would tell her as the dooming thought crossed her mind sat wearily on to her own bed.

"You went to the Forest didn't you!" Hermione yelped. "You promised! How could you go back on your word!"

"Hermione I'm sorry! But I had a Purpose there! It was fait!" Hermione snorted.

"Fait! Honestly! What sort of fait then?"

"When I went there, I saw Firenze. He told me that Mars was bright and that It was too dangerous for me to be there, and he was right! ("What gave you that idea?" Hermione huffed) Charon attacked me, again." Hermione stopped and starred.  
"Cha-Charon? Cleo, where is he?" She said frantically. Cleo tried her hardest not to laugh.

"Australia." Hermione looked at her blankly.

"What?" Cleo couldn't contain it any longer. She laughed and clapped.

"That spell I learned in charms, I used it on Charon and he's in Australia!" Hermione tried to look stern but failed and laughed along.

"Honestly Cleo you're a moron!"

"But you see don't you, a bright Mars must mean some sort of danger! What kind of danger is the question." Hermione shook her head.

"I don't know, lets figure it out tomorrow, I'm worn out." Cleo agreed and slept.

It was an odd sleep as a matter of fact. She continued to dream that Mars was getting brighter. Finally Cleo grabbed it out of the sky and smashed it. There was his one guy who came up to her; Janus who stopped her half way threw her distraction and told it would be alright. Whatever.

At very long last the sun rose and all was good. Cleo leapt from her bed like a spring and pulled Hermione out of her slumber.

"Cleo, I'm glad to see you're interested in learning but this is ungodly!" Hermione said when she was fully awakened.

"The boys are already awake." Cleo said. Hermione gave her a quizzical look.

"Cleo, not even on Christmas do they wake up this early, or at least not voluntarily. What gives you he idea that they're awake now?" Cleo contained her amusement. Before she went to sleep last night she had put a spell on them. When she woke up, water would instantly poor on them and wake them.

"Just know." Hermione decided she preferred not to ask, so she dressed and went to see the boys down stairs. They were already dressed (with stringy wet hair Cleo knottiest!)

"Gosh boys, get a prank pulled on you?" she said innocently. Harry saw threw her like she was glass, even though his own glasses were fogged and soggy.

"You little Witch!" Cleo laughed.

"Way to state the obvious! But seriously, we have something important to discuss."

"Must be to wake us up that way!" Ron sneered.

"Its is!" Hermione vouched for her.

"What?"

"Mars was bright!"

"WHAT?" Cleo sighed. _Honesty I love them but they're all clueless. _

"Last night I was in the forest (she ignored that gasping and swearing at her from the boys) and I came apon Firenze! He told me that Mars was bright and I would do good to get out while I could."

"You would've done well to listen to our warning in the first place!" said an acrimonious Harry.

"HARRY IF YOU WILL JUST LISTEN YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT!"

"ITS IMPORTANT THAT YOU LISTEN TO US!" Cleo took a deep breath while still glaring at Harry.

"If it makes any difference to you I saw Charon in his _full form _and he _attacked _me! _Just last night!" _Ron turned a pasty white.

"You saw him! Cleo what happened, tell us now!" He demanded.

"Well, he attacked me and I sent him to Australia…"

"Australia? Blimy! Your ruthless Cleo!" Ron spewed out, between surprise and amusement.

"But that's not important now," Cleo persisted "What is important is that Mars is bright and that Charon can reach his full form!"

"What dose a bright Mars mean!" Harry said impatiently. Their Cleo had no explanation, and was rather embarrassed to tell the truth. Hermione thought a moment before speaking.

"Well…Mars was the Greek god of war. Perhaps…certainly when the planet Mars is bright that means some war or struggle is going to happen."

"Yeah! That must be why Charon attacked you when Mars was bright." Ron said. Hermione made a little croak before they started congratulating her on her brilliance.

"What is it Hermione? What's the matter?" Cleo inquired. Hermione looked about ready to tell them but stopped.

"No, I'll tell you latter."

"No you wont!" Cleo said, forcing her down into her chair. "You tell us now!"

"I've seen Charon too." She whispered.

"What!" Cleo said with all the fury she had in her little body.

"I saw him the same night you got attacked! He started laughing at me and I knew something was going to happen; then when I saw you weren't in your bed I got worried." Harry nodded.

"My scar was giving me a lot of trouble last night." Cleo hugged Hermione and put her hand on Harry's.

"I am so sorry! I swear…I'll kill that…I'm so sorry!" Ron's eyes increased in its worry and reached over to her shoulders.

"Cleo calm down. We'll deal with this guy!"

"We need to go tell Dumbledore, now!" Hermione ordered them, which they all obeyed with in a matter of seconds.


	6. Chapter 6

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 6**

**Potions**

Cleo woke up and felt that she really didn't wont to get out of her warm bed and soft covers, that so properly sheltered her from the conflicts that have now imposed themselves on her. However, Hermione's forceful hand contradicted her opinion. Cleo was actually awakened but Hermione's prodding and when her head was thrusted against her headboard.

"Sorry." Hermione muttered. "But it's time for breakfast."

"Fine." Cleo crooked while kicking of the covers. Her eyes focused on Hermione's smile and got out of bed.

"I suppose I should be getting ready then." Cleo said. She conjured a merrier and table with her cosmetics and uniform. There she pulled on her clothing and fixed her hair in a soft ponytail. Hermione watched and slowly begin to fiddle with her own hair that hung limply at her shoulders.

"Alright then." Cleo said closing her hair book and setting down her wand. Hermione opened her mouth like she was about to say something but thought better of it and closed it.

Cleo knottiest this threw her mirror (she easily caught such things) this and turned to look at Hermione.

"What's up Hermione?" Hermione gave her a questioning look.

"Oh, sorry…um what's the matter?" Hermione, strangely looked confused in a lose of words. "Oh! I…just thought…your hair it's… er…nice." Cleo smiled broadly.

"Do you really think so?" She asked, touching the top. "I could do it for you if you like." She offered. Cleo hit the spot. Hermione glowed and sat on sat on the edge of Cleo's stool.

"Just like mine?" Cleo asked. Hermione nodded excitedly. "Cool, then we can match!"

Cleo preformed the de-frizzing charm and then the spell. Hermione sat awestruck, looking in the merrier.

"Do you like it?" Cleo whispered. Hermione nodded. "Wont to go show the boys?" Hermione again grinned and nodded.

"Come on." Cleo said taking her hand and speeding down the steps to the common room. Ron and Harry were playing exploding snap rather unenthusiastically.

"Where are the girls?" Ron demanded after one of his own cards popped. "They're taking all…"

"Were here!" Cleo yelled, her hair whipping her in the face from running so quickly to them. Ron smiled up at her and then saw Hermione. His eyes (as well as Harry's) grew ten times their normal size and his mouth began to hang.

"Hermione!"

"You look so…not frizzy." Harry said standing up and studying her more closely. Cleo gave Hermione a confused look at which Hermione returned with a shrug.

Once it was confirmed that Hermione was in fact pretty Cleo suggested that it may be a good idea to nourish themselves before they were late for class. They all sat down in their regular seats in the grate hall, surrounded by their friend who all gave a stunned smile to Hermione.

"Harry was blunt wasn't he?" Cleo asked in an amused whisper. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, well they aren't too used to me looking like this often. The last time I did something like this was at last year's Christmas party." Cleo thought and responded.

"Do you think Harry likes it?" Hermione glanced over at him, gave Cleo a smirk and nodded. Cleo hummed.

"Well then, we should do this more often." Hermione starred at Cleo but soon smiled.

"Do you think…" She began but just then the owls swooped in with the mail. They lifted their heads to look and Cleo saw with much pleasure Stephanie was among these owls. She landed on Cleo's shoulder and nipped her ear.

"Hello their Stephanie here let me get this." Stephanie wobbled slightly as Cleo untied the letter from her leg.

"What is it?" Hermione asked her. Cleo squealed.

"It's a letter from my brother!"

"Read it!" They told her. Cleo unfolded it and read allowed.

_Dear Steph, _

_Hay kid, how's Hogwarts? I didn't believe Mom and Dad when they told me you were going. But when they showed me the letter and your room was wiped clean, how could I not! They told me everything! Is it as cool as they say? Any new friends? Everyone's asking about you and what school your going to. I've just told them you've gone to a private school. haha! Schools fine here, lots of work. (and cute girls) Still need to work hard. I'll see you this Christmas. Bye!_

_-Ben_

"He seems nice!" Hermione said. Cleo nodded.

"He is." Stephanie had gotten into her bacon plate and had eaten a good amount of it. Cleo decided if she didn't wont her owl to get a cholesterol ratting that she better send her off.

"How come he didn't believe your parents that you were going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, as if he was expecting this sort of thing to happen for a while. Cleo causally stirred her tea.

"Well it isn't every day that you find out your sister is a witch is it? I mean it must have been a little unbelievable when you found the same out." _And don't try to deny it 'cause I know you did. _

"Why is he afraid to tell anyone then?" Harry asked.

Cleo frowned.

"Well, not everyone is too comfortable knowing that someone you're in connection to a witch. You know they don't have a very good reputation in the muggle world do they?"

"Sounds like my aunt and uncle, they wouldn't let anyone in the world know about my 'abnormality.' Do you know they tell the neighbors that I go to a school for uncontrollable boys?"

"They sound ghastly." Cleo said shaking her head.

"They are." The three of them said in unison. Harry went on about his home life and Cleo listened attentively, even though she knew all there was to tell. It did come handy during some stores however. Cleo knew just when to say "How horrible!" or something along those lines.

Harry had wormed up a grate deal to Cleo after that, which Cleo was glad about. She never did like when there was a barrier between someone and herself.

Now that she had budded up with all of them well, it was easy to knottiest that something was the matter.

"What's the problem?" Cleo asked suspiciously and almost motherly.

"We've got potions next." Cleo bit her lip slightly.

"I see.

"You don't understand!" Ron burst out like Cleo had denied the horrors of potions class.

"Snape, our potions teacher is _evil_!"

"And he really hates me 'cause my father saved him when they were boys."

"Well, wouldn't he like you if your father saved your life?" Cleo said playing along.

"No because he wouldn't have had to save his life if my Dad and some of his friends weren't going to play a trick on him that could have killed him."

"So he takes it out on you." Cleo said in true fury. It had always tweaked her a bit. "Petty isn't it?"

"He's been in a horribly foul mood lately." Hermione whispered to them as they neared to the dungeon where Snape was.

"Is he ever out of one?" Ron asked while opening the door. Just that moment the bell rung and Snape looked up from his notes.

"You're late! 10 points from Grifonder!" He barked. Cleo opened her mouth in anger.

"We were already in the class when the bell rang!" Cleo debated. Whispers skipped about the class.

"There is no freedom of speech in this class Miss. Chestra not seat yourself before I make that 10 points each!" Cleo could feel her cheeks grow considerably red but did as she was told.

"Oh he's horrible!" Cleo whispered to Harry.

"Miss. Chestra!" Snape spat suddenly, making Cleo jump and sit board strait. He walked over to her table and looked her in the eye. _Now I know what Harry meant when he said he had the feeling Snape could read minds. _

"You're from America are you not?" He said almost frighteningly kind.

"Yes Professor I am."

"And boosted up to fifth year, very good."

"What is he getting at?" Cleo's sharp ears heard Ron hiss to Harry and Hermione.

"So you could tell me what I would get if I added powdered root of asphodel to a infusion of wormwood?" Cleo felt like laughing out loud!_ Honestly! That's the same question he asked Harry! Doesn't he know I read the books? _Cleo made it look like she could have told him in her sleep.

"Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death." Snape blinked.

"Alright then where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?' Cleo pretend to tell him threw a grate yawn that had suddenly come over her.

"A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons." Cleo said putting her hand over her mouth.

"Then was is the difference…"

"Monkshood and Wolfbsane are the same plant also known as aconite." The class looked a little stunned.

"Is that all professor? If so I believe that young lady over there, Lindsey, is also from America if you would like to ask her." Snape's mouth twitched.

"No, one more. How many points should I take from Grifonder?" He asked eyes sinking into Cleo's.

"None, because I answered all your questions, and correctly at that." Some of the students laughed and Seamus even clapped a little.

"Five points for being a smart mouth over confident child." He spat and returned to his seat.

The remainder of the class was utter heck and Cleo was constantly getting the urge to flick him off. When they left Cleo was in a foul mood indeed.

"Harry." She said turning to him swiftly when they left. "Make sure that next Quidditch game you send a Bludger right to his head!"

"Can do." Harry agreed.

"Oh!" Hermione cooed suddenly.

"What is it Hermione?" Cleo asked.

"We've got Defense against the dark arts today."

"So?" Ron asked.

"Who is our teacher going to be?" She asked. "No one was there at the feast!" Cleo gasped.

"I completely forgot to look!" _Then again, I was choking on an abomination of pudding! _

"Come on!" And without another word Cleo went speeding down to the defense against the dark arts room and peered inside. The sounds of six more feet coming up the stairs soon followed.

"Who's in there?" Harry demanded.

"Its Fleur Delacour!" Cleo felt like screaming, and even did but not to loudly. Harry marched forward.

"NO WAY!" And swung open the door to see her at her desk.

"Fleur! You knew all along you were coming here didn't you!" She lifted her head and brushed some hair out of her face before she frowned.

"Excuse me Mr. Potter it is Professor Delacour." But she was quick to smile. She was very pretty, and had a very odd glow about her…literally! (Cleo even latter noticed that she was married, which she was glad to point out to Ron, who shrunk away.)

Class, for the first time was splendid. They began to learn about a _contrarotulus_, this little green slime things that could go threw your nose and up into your brain and control you! As disturbing as it was, it was very entertaining learning the curse to ward it off. (_contra-conteroller!) _

Cleo tried doing this to hers and accidentally hit it with her wand. It made a whimpering sound and scooted away from her. Fleur burst out laughing.

"Or 'Vorst come to 'Vorst you can just throw your 'Vand at it!"

"That was so much fun!" Cleo said breathlessly when they went out.

"Yeah, in care of magical creatures Hagrid will probably be having us taking care of 'um." Ron said sarcastically. Cleo sighed.

"Well maybe he got us something nicer to take care of this time."

The four of then made there way across the lawns of Hogwarts to Hagrid's hut. He had a large tank behind him and was tending to it while the class arrived. Of course, Slytherins had to be there but Cleo encored them as always.

"Which one's Lindsey?" Ron asked, inspecting the Slytherins like dogs. Cleo shrugged carelessly.

"Look for the one pitifully flirting with Malfoy."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked in disgust. Cleo nodded with perched lips.

"Yeah, she thinks he's cute." Cleo stuck her tong out.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid asked ones they had seated themselves. Cleo saw Lindsey pointing to her, alongside of none other than the little scumbag himself, Malfoy. _Hum, they should make a very good couple. _Cleo hissed to herself.

"Good." Hargid said ones he saw them all. "Today we'll be learning about the Pinnypook. The Pinnypook his a 'elly little creature but it's mouth will expand to eat it's pray and enemies." Explained Hagrid.

Cleo looked at the Pinnypook with much astonishment. It's fur was a brown-green color that covered its inter body besides its enormous eyes. It was a perfect circle except for the bat like wings that stuck out on either side of its body. If Hagrid hadn't told her that it had a mouth, Cleo would have wondered where it was. Hagrid was right about another thing, it was tiny! She wouldn't be surprised if it could fit in the palm of her hand.

"The Pinnypook lives in the very bottom of the sea. As you might have noisiest, its eyes are big like that so it can see in the dark water. Right above it's eyes it has gills. Even though they mainly live in the water, they also can live on land. They usually eat birds and take their nests. They're favorite nests were those of the dodo birds, but ate so many that the dodo's became extinct and now the Pinnypook mostly stays in the water."

A merrier of understanding traveled threw the class.

"Really!" Said an amazed Hermione.

"What? You haven't read the 'big book of boring creatures facts' yet for some light reading?" asked Ron sarcastically. Cleo giggled.

"Sorry Hermione but it was funny." Cleo whispered after both Ron and Hermione had gotten good and red.

"Simmer down now, simmer down!" Yelled Hagrid, which made them all silent immediately. "That's good. Now, even though the Pinnypooks are small, they don't have any bones which allows them to expand when eating or fighting. Let me demonstrate."

Hagrid look out an extremely large peace of stake and threw it into the tank that the Pinnypook was in. The Pinnypook examined the stake and then without warning it inflated ten times it's original size and devoured the stake hole.

The Pinnypook remained that size while it chewed, and as the stake got smaller so did the Pinnypook until it was finished with the stake and was back to it's normal size. The class burst into applause and Hagrid grunted.

"Yea, ya' think that now, but ya' wont think it's that cool if it was one of ya'." The class was silent again and Hagrid proceeded.

"The way you make sure you don't end up like that stake the Pinnypook just ate you do this one very simple trick." The class was intrigued and the four of them leaned forward. "Ya' smile."

"What?" Malfoy spoke indignantly.

"It's true, If you do then the Pinnypook knows you mean no harm. However they can sense if you untrustworthy, but I think you'll all be ok unless you wont their fur for a new hat." The class gave weak smiles.

Hagrid smiled and motioned for them to stand up and come to the tank.

"Theirs a Pinnypook for each of you in separate tanks. All you have to do is pick out the one you wont, smile and it will let yer' hold it. How you know it will let you hold it is it will wink."

Cleo couldn't help but smile then. She picked out a Pinnypook with blue eyes and white wings. Cleo grinned at Pinnypook. Almost right away the Pinnypook winked and Cleo pulled the Pinnypook out of the tank. Much to her surprise, the Pinnypook was really quite cuddly. It tucked its wings/fins down and simply turned into a big furry ball. It closed its eyes and started making a gurgling sound that Cleo guessed was something like purring.

Hermione walked over to Cleo with her Pinnypook; she was holding it much as if it were a baby. (Cleo soon imitated this) Hers had a blond and brown fur and had really big purple eyes. It too had its wings tucked in and was making the gurgling sound.

"Aren't they simply precious?" She said tickling Her's under the wing.

"They are pretty cute." Cleo admitted as his went to sleep. Harry had gotten a black one with gray eyes and Ron got a green one with blue eyes.

They spent the rest of the class-making nest that resembled those of the dodo birds. Neville's Pinnypook didn't seem to like his nest and kept eating it so Cleo and Hermione helped.

Though they were a little regretful to have to leave the Pinnypooks, Cleo had gotten rather attached to her own. Hermione had even named Hers… Catharine.

"But it isn't even a girl!" Insisted Ron when he found out.

"I know." Said Hermione, "But doesn't it look like a Catharine?" Cleo glared at Ron and nodded at Hermione.

"I think that's a splendid idea Hermione. I think I'll name my own Jeff." (Hers was a boy.) Ron stormed of muttering something like "girls, always sticking together." That day was probably the best day Cleo had had in a long time.

When night came the boys bid the girl's goodnight, promising that they would wait for them in the morning. Hermione was very cheerful and got ready in the speed of light.

She was sitting on her own bed beside Cleo, watching her fix her hair into two braids for the night.

"Cleo?" She murmured.

"Hum." Cleo said.

"I wonted to ask you something at breakfast but…I didn't get a chance to."

"What was that?" Cleo asked while she set down her wand and turned to look at Hermione. She looked a little hesitant. "Hermione? You can tell me, it's alright." Hermione took a deep breath and looked around the room.

"I er… I sort of…fancy Harry." Cleo clapped her hands together and squealed.

"That's lovely Hermione!" She said when she gave her a hug. Hermione smiled ones Cleo released her.

"But…do you think he dose too?" Cleo's eyes softened. She knew for a fact that he didn't, not menacing she had some competition.

"I don't think so Hermione…BUT," Cleo said quickly catching the glint of sadness in her eye. "I could help you! I mean to get him to fancy you. I wouldn't mind fixing your hair or anything." Hermione shook her head.

"I liked the look and all but it hurt my head." Cleo smirked and patted her on the hand.

"We'll try our best then wont we? Now can you keep a secret for me?" Cleo asked quietly. Hermione nodded enthusiastically, apparently glad to be trusted with a secret from Cleo.

"I think…sure that I fancy Ron." Hermione shrieked.

"Shut up!" Cleo yelled.

"I'm sorry, but wow Ron!" Hermione said in a shocked whisper.

"Do you think its stupid? I mean he's just so funny and nice and I just love his hair and…"

"No I don't think it's at all stupid, I think it's wonderful!" Hermione said, exchanging another hug with Cleo.

"This is nice." Hermione said with a glad sigh. "Theirs never been another girl in the group and to be able to talk about these things are so good." Cleo nodded.

"I'm glad too Hermione, were like best friends now!" Hermione nodded.

"I think so. I'll see you tomorrow Cleo, good night. "Good night Hermione." Hermione cuddled under her covers and closed her eyes.

"Where is Papa Momma?" Susanna Wakfeild asked her Mother while playing with her little sister Emily on the floor.

"In America Precious." She responded, while rolling the doe she would use to make bread.

"Why didn't he bring us with him?" Emily asked with her sweet baby voice.

"He had…things to do darling." They were all silent for a second.

"I miss him mommy." Emily said simply. Mrs. Wakfeild whipped a silent tear from her cheek and responded, "I do too darling." And continued to roll the bread.

'Cause things

Just, keep getting better!

The school week was sadly stressful for Cleo. She had expected from the books that Hogwarts to be nothing but a jolly good time! But with all the times she wonted to strangle Snape, staying up 'till 12 looking at the blasted stars, and all the homework Cleo was sure that by next Tuesday she was going to go insane!

With all the work she had, she didn't have any chance to look in the library for info about American Witches and Wizards. Cleo still hadn't told Hermione, Ron or Harry about her worries in being 1 out of the only two American Witches to date.

She had seen someone that could have brightened her week, but of course didn't.

It was around Thursday when it happened. Cleo was walking to her charms class, looking like a middle aged woman with out her coffee when she knocked into none other than Natalie.

"Natalie!" Cleo said stopping her before she went further. Natalie blinked up at her and choked.

"Oh, er…hi."

"Hi! How are you?"

"You're in Divination." She peeped. Cleo looked around as if hoping to see where this comment had come from but she soon respond.

"Yes, I am, I've been boosted to fifth year."

"I know." Natalie said flinching a little. "I heard about what you had seen." Cleo put her hand to her head.

"Gosh that got around fast." Natalie nodded uncomfortably.

"Yes well…er…bye." She said turning to walk away but Cleo stopped her.

"Natalie? What's the matter?" Natalie shuddered uncontrollably.

"What you saw was just a little creepy. Now can I please go?"

Cleo was left with a horrible felling all day, and suddenly knottiest some of the students inching away from her as she pasted like she carried some decease. Several times, she's been wanting to scream out to them… "Get over it! It's not like_ I _killed him!" Not to mention that the dark figure had appeared in her dreams 2 times that week.

One night she was dreaming about Ron, Harry and Hermione in Hogsmade, looking at some sweets when he came looking at her from the Connor of the store. Suddenly a grate force flung her to him.

"If you think that your going to get away from me child you are sadly mistaken!" And just as he lifted his hand to strike Cleo, she was woken up. Hermione and Lavender were looking over her bed. Even in the dark light, Cleo could see how ashen they were.

"Cleo, are you alright?" Hermione asked in a quivering voice. Cleo nodded and whipped some sweat of her for head.

"But you were screaming so loud!" Lavender said, shocked to hear say such a thing.

"It was nothing, I had a bad dream. You can go back to bed Lavender, thank you." Lavender breathed deeply threw her nose and left.

"I should say you were having a bad dram." She muttered. Ones Lavender was safely in bed Hermione leaned into Cleo.

"Was it the dark man again?" Cleo nodded. "Is that all you remember?" Cleo nodded yet again, soberly.

"Well tomorrow we'll tell the boys. For now just go to bed." _That should be something to look forward to. _

Divination was the only class that looked on Cleo like it did. Trelawney was treating her like some sort of prodigy, always showing off her work and claming her to be a true Seer.

Lavender and Patty starting insisting on Cleo sitting next to them and discussing the lesson like she cared! They said she had a gift, gift wasn't the word.

So Cleo was quite stressed that week and when the weekend rolled around she felt she could finally breathe.

Saturday morning Cleo didn't bother to fix her hair and slipped on the first thing she could find. Without eating breakfast Cleo went down to the library, she wasn't very hungry and was hoping to find something that would answer her question about American Witches.

Cleo walked passed the grate hall and into the library. Hardly anyone was in there, but Cleo was glad. She just wonted to read in peace, peace something she hadn't had in a while. Around this time, she would probably snuggle down with one of her, Harry Potter books but she thought bitterly to herself that they were no longer hers to read. Trying to clear her mind of any nasty thoughts she went to one of the shelf's and pulled down some eligible books, that might contain the answer to her questions.

Cleo was skimming threw them for a while when she felt someone looking at her.

"Cleo?" Hermione's voice came over her. Cleo looked up and seeing her friends, she smiled.

"Oh hi." Cleo hadn't talked sense waking up so her voice was hoarse and corking slightly.

"You didn't come to breakfast." Harry said in a worried, serous voice.

"I wasn't very hungry." Hermione glanced at Harry and Ron and then sat down beside her.

"Cleo, you need to eat." Cleo examined Hermione then.

"Hermione, you guys…what's going on?" They hesitated.

"Were just…a little worried about you." Ron said, fidgeting with his fingers. Cleo looked at them, shocked to say the least.

"You guys are acting like I'm going crazy." Cleo's tone stronger.

"Well can you blame us? You've seen this dark guy four…"

"Five."

"Five times this week!" Cleo ran one of her hands threw her hair.

" 'Yall, I don't know what's going on any more than you do but I know I'm not going _crazy!"_

"And were not accusing you of that," Hermione responded quickly, with the boys nodding and agreeing.

"I mean you've just been acting so strangely! You're always so tired…"

"I'm up to 12 every night looking at those damn stars!" Cleo screeched. Hermione stopped.

"But you're really stressed too." Ron added.

"Well that usually happens with lack of sleep!" Cleo growled.

"What about you not coming to breakfast and coming here today?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Well that requires a bit of a story." Cleo said meekly. Ron and Harry sat down as if to say _continue. _

"Isn't even the littlest bit strange to you that me and Lindsey are the only American Witches to date?" She said. "That there weren't even any to make a school and that I had to come here to Hogwarts?" Hermione did nod.

"Yes…I was actually wondering about it." Hermione admitted.

"But why?" Harry broke threw. "Is the question."

"And I intend to get a answer." Cleo said determinedly. "Do you think, you all could help me?"

"Gladly!" Ron responded while pulling a book towards him to look threw. Cleo smiled.

"Oh! Wait." Hermione, Ron and Cleo looked up and Harry who was gathering his things.

"What is it Harry?" Cleo asked in a disgruntled tone. Harry frowned.

"I'm Sorry Cleo but Ron, Hermione and me are going to see Hagrid at 12:00 today and it's passed then." Cleo gasped.

"Oh! Is it really! Wait you were invited too?"

"In…invited too?" Harry asked in confusion. Cleo stared laughing.

"And your surprised we worry about you?" Ron said, mocking her.

"It was a set up! See me and Lindsey used to be friends but when we got into an argument he sent a letter saying he saw and that it might be of some comfort to see him!"

"And…" Harry went on, then his face suddenly showed his understanding and nodded.

"He wonted us to meet." Cleo put her hand over her chest. _He wonted me to meet my stars! _

"OH! That is so sweet of him! Let's go now, I need to give him a hug." And leaving her books abandoned she dashed out of the library and strait in the direction of Hagrid's.

Some seventh years were spiraled along the lawn enjoying the cool sun and freedom. Cleo swerved threw them, getting a full blast of wind every time and making her hair fly past her head. Hermione, Harry and Ron caught up with Cleo fairly quickly. They were laughing threw their hard breathing.

"Maybe – we – should – tell – Hagrid – about – your – dreams." Ron suggested. Cleo snorted.

"And risk him thinking I'm insane too? Thanks but no thanks." Ron went on to explaining that he didn't think she was crazy but she had already heard.

Picking up the pace, you can understand perfectly why, it didn't take them long to arrive at Hagrid's home. Fang was tethered outside, whimpering loudly when he caught sight of the four of them.

"Good Morning Fang." Cleo said hurriedly. Harry knocked on the door.

" 'Ello there." Hagrid said ruffly, as if hopping they hadn't figured out his plain. Cleo smiled quickly and hugged him (as best she could) around his waist. Hagrid was looking down at Harry, Ron and Hermione in a confused manner until Cleo released him.

"It was so _sweet _of you to try to get us to meet!" Cleo explained without taking knottiest to his look. His confusion shifted to worry, but soon melted into gladness.

"So I see my work is not needed." He said smiling down at the four of them while allowing them in.  
"Cleo smacked into Ron in the Hall and by some bazaar twist of fate were friends cause of it." Cleo huffed and smacked her hands on her waist.

"Is it that bazaar that you get along with me?" Harry nodded.

"For many reasons yes." Cleo stuck her tong out at him, which he returned playfully.

"How was your summer Hargid?" Hermione asked with a change of subject. Hagrid sighed

"Long, very, very long. Me and Madam Maxtime got the Giants to come on our side, but it took some negotiation'." He smiled at them. "So," Hagrid said sitting down, after he had offered them sweets, which they refused. "I heard about what happened at Divination." Cleo glanced a worrisome look at her friends and back at Hagrid.

"What happened?"

"I just saw something." Cleo said meekly.

"What was that?" Cleo didn't know what to say. She didn't wont to worry Hagrid, or get him thinking she was insane. But what would she say? I mean, There aren't many things that cause that reaction!  
"I'd rather not talk about it." Cleo said finally. _Not bad! You didn't lie but you still got him of!_ Hagrid nodded.

"Alright."

"Thank You Hagrid for understanding." Cleo said sweetly. Hagrid shrugged it off and leaned back in his chair.

" 'is alright. I heard what yer' saw anyway." Cleo gasped.

"Well that was a lot of use asking me then!" She screeched. Hagrid paid no attention.  
"Why'd yer' see a murder do yer think?" Cleo scrunched in her chair.

"You know you could have told me you already knew." She muttered. She mentally calmed herself and shrugged.

"I have no idea." Hagrid looked taken back.

"Do yer' mean ter' tell me that the nectarous mystery solvers don't even have a idea? Well that's just a little pitiful in my option."

"Lay of Hagrid!" Harry called. "Besides it's a hard subject!" Hagrid grunted.

"That's never gotten it your way before! Harry! For crayin' out loud you solved all those pesky riddles in the Triwizard's Tournament! And in your First year you figured out all those tests to get to the Sorcerer's Stone…"

"With our help!" Ron cried out indignantly. Hagrid shook his head and continued.

"All I'm saying' its it's never stooped yer' before!"

"Hargid!" Hermione growled. "Are you trying to get us in trouble?"

"Well yer' wont get in jail for figurin' out why she saw a cotton picken' murder now is it!" _Well the way the books go I can't be so sure. _

"You know…" Cleo said thoughtfully. "There might be something in _'Unfogging the Future.'_" Ron and Harry looked over at Hermione, most likely expecting her to announce a quote from it but she returned their expecting looks with a glare.

"Well you don't actually expect me to _read _that rubbish do you?" She said huffily.

"It's never stopped you before." Ron responded dully. Hermione's lips thinned.

"Well I _was _going to tell you that I _might _have seen _something _like that in there." Hermione muttered.

"Let's check it out then!" Cleo said, getting up from her chair.

"Hold it!" Hagrid boomed. "You're still visiting with me! Do your detective work after!" Cleo laughed and agreed to stay.

The rest of the visit was wonderfully relaxing. They mostly sat and talked, boys conversing about the Quidditch season growing ever nearer and the girls chatting about muggle amassment. (Both being quite informed about such things. Cleo even suggested Hermione coming over to Kings Dominion some day.)

They did help Hagrid gather the Pinnypooks and put them in their cages, which they were more than happy to help with.

They finally bid their good-byes to Hagrid and rushed of to the castle to do some research.

"Let me just go get my test book up stairs." Cleo said ones they had come to the common room. Pushing aside transfiguration, and setting aside Charms she found her Divination textbook and dashed down the stairs with it. (Leaving her other things abandoned.)

"Alright then." Hermione said taking Cleo's book and looking threw it. She frowned.

"What is it?" Cleo said timidly. The last thing she needed to hear was a bad omen.

"There isn't anything in here about murders…lets try _kill." _Cleo nodded.

"Yeah, ok." Hermione flipped threw the K's but there was no sine of _Kill_ either." Cleo bit the inside of her lip.

"Fine then try death." Harry suggested. Hermione did so and found it.

"Aha! _Death_ it says hear that _"someone else's death can mean a birth," _

"A birth?" Ron sneered. "Cleo have you been fooling around?"

"Ron!" They said scoldingly.

"Honestly! Now as I was saying, _death can mean a birth or a small warning for you to slow down as you're taking on too much." _Hermione looked up at the over stressed Cleo as if to say that it made sense.

"Well a lot of good that dose me! As if I can stop taking on Magic! What am I going to do? Skip school!"

"Cleo, calm down." Hermione urged. "Maybe that's not what were looking for. Why don't we look up dark figures?" Cleo took a deep breath and allowed her to do so.

"Perhaps _strangers _might be the best thing to look under." _Whatever, just don't be bad, don't be bad! _Cleo thought desperately.

"It seems that a stranger or unknown person predicts that _new and unknown challenges are ahead." _Cleo put her head in her hands.

"Fun." She sighed while collapsing in a chair. "That's just a mystery in its self! What sort of '_Unknown challenges_?"

"I think that's why there '_unknown._" Ron said

"Well at least we can do one thing." Harry said. Cleo took her head out of her hands and looked up at him.

"What." She croaked.

"We could try relaxing. Maybe that will help to get used to all the things you're taking on." Cleo smiled.

"Thank you Harry, everybody. Its really sweet of you to put up with all my whining." Hermione put her arm around Cleo.

"Your stressed, it makes sense for you to react this way." She cooed "What do you wont to do?"  
"Why don't we go see Dobby and the other house elves about some food?" Ron asked excitedly.

"Dobby?" Cleo asked. (She was extremely interested in seeing exactly what Dobby looked like. She had seen a picture of Dobby in the second Harry Potter movie and was to say the least horrified.)

"Dobby is a house elf I saved from the Malfoy's in my second year." Harry said, thinking that she did not know who he was.

"Oh…OH." Cleo said playing along. "How nice…er…lets go!" Harry smiled cheerfully and the group of them left to the kitchens.

The walk was very long and her feet had begin to hurt after a while, but when they arrived to the fruit paining Cleo could not help but feel glad. Hermione scratched the pear, it giggled, (sounding disturbingly like Cleo's giggle) and allowed them in.

Cleo stooped still in the doorway. (The door actually hit her butt and she was flung forward, but the original shock was still intact.) Thousands, millions of house elves were scurrying about, putting away pans and dusting everything in sight.

One elf stood out from the rest. It was impossible to mistake him for any other elf because of the feminine eyes (And strangely long eyelashes) sail like ears, and bazaar dressing stile.

Today he was wearing a green and orange stripped French cap, a pink tail coat, And thick Weasley sweater Ron had given him for Christmas in their fourth year. Below those, were lime green bell-bottoms that were much too big and held up from what looked like the rope from a boat. Probably Dobby's favorite accessories were socks. Today he was wearing his favorites. A sock Ron had given him and a bloody sock Harry had tricked Dobby's last master, Mr. Malfoy, in to giving him in odder to free Dobby mer minutes after he had defeated a large snake as gory as possible. (That was the reason it was soaked in blood, but Dobby didn't seem to mind and didn't clean it.)

Cleo had to restrain herself was gagging, because, well as sweet as Dobby was nothing about him at the moment was in any bit attractive. Still, at the same time there was something incredibly adorable about him, how Cleo still hasn't figure out but she figured she would just focus on that instead.

As if Dobby had a "Harry radar", he turned his head around from the sink he was washing his hands in and gave a little squeal.

"HARRY POTTER!" He scurried over to Harry and rapped his bony arms around his knees. Harry wobbled and laughed a little. (Cleo joining in a ringing back up chorus.)

"Harry Potter! I is glad to see you sir! And you has brought your Weasly with you!" He said pointing up and Ron, with Ron beaming down at him. (Cleo knew that he liked the attention.)

"And girl with the scary idea's for house elves." Another elf said in the back round. Cleo began to giggle but had to choke herself to stop, Hermione didn't think it in the least bit amusing.

"There is nothing _scary _about getting your deserved rights!" She protested.

"Hermione!" Ron hissed "give it up!" Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Dobby beat her to the punch.

"Who is other, the hairy lady?" He asked pointing in the direction of Cleo. Cleo stared at him in disgust but then saw what he meant and giggled.

"My name is Cleo Chestra, pleased to meet your acquaintance Mr. Dobby." Cleo said politely and taking his hand to shake it. Dobby's eyes grew the size of beach balls and looked up at Harry.

"Keeper!" Cleo burst out laughing at sat down.

"Hay Dobby," Ron said sitting down beside her. "Could you get me one of those lemon pies they had last night?" Cleo stuck out her tong.

"Are you going to eat that all yourself?" Ron shrugged.

"Yeah!" Cleo did some spontaneous discussed movements, then saw that Dobby was looking at her.

"You alright miss?" he asked. Cleo bit the inside of her lip and nodded.

"Yeah." She said threw a spastic giggle. "Could I have a Root-beer float please?" He got Hermione and Harry's orders (hot cocoa for Hermione and some pudding for Harry) and left.

"Well this perked you up quite a bit!" Hermione said joyfully.

"Yes, quite a bit! Thank you Harry, splendid idea!" Harry grinned and took a bight out of his pudding that a little Elf had brought him.

Other than the fact, that Ron's disposal of food made her a little sick the visit had lifted Cleo like no other time that week. Dobby, although Cleo was sure it wasn't intentional, was hilarious! Cleo laughed so many times that her face and throat hurt. And the surprises didn't end there!

They left with full stomachs and happy thoughts, up back to the common room to chill. When they arrived, (at long last) they found a crowed assembled on the left side of the fire place. Ron groaned.

"I swear! If Fred and Gorge are setting one more salamander on fire…"

"Its not!" Hermione called over to them. She had run off to see for herself. "It's a Hogsmade weekend before Halloween!" a crest of disappointment rained on Cleo's cheery parade, Hermione seemed to have thought of it as well.

"Cleo…did you get permission to go to Hogsmade?" Cleo shrugged.

"I d'no." She said sadly. "But I could send Stephanie to my parents asking."

"Well what are you standing there for?" Ron asked hysterically "Go get her!" And they all rushed off to gather Cleo's pet.

Dear Mom and Dad,

Hello! Hogwarts is wonderful, although I could do with out Snape. I met some friends that are really nice and I'm having a grate time with them. To save parchment I'll just get to subject. A Hogsmade trip is coming and I was wondering if I had permission to go. Thanks and I'll see you latter!

Love,

Cleo


	7. Chapter 7

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 7

Hogsmade

The weeks flew by with anticipation. Hermione was helping with her work and rumors were slow. (The way Cleo liked them.) The wait until the Hogsmade trip was down two mere days, yet a fogging cloud still loomed. Stephanie was back but not with a letter from her parents. Cleo had no way of knowing weather she was allowed to go. The worry was like a stomachache that hit her every time someone mentioned the trip.

The very day it was planed for them to go, Cleo was sure that she was going to barf! She was trying her very hardest to indulge herself in _"The ones and future king"_ but constantly found herself groaning and fiddling with the pages.

"Will you chill out?" Harry yelled up from Ron and his game of chess.

"Easy for you to say! You have permission to go! What am I to do if I don't!"

"No wonder your getting all those nightmares! You're stressed!" Hermione exclaimed from her own book "Beasts of the 19th century."

"You know they haven't stopped. In fact they've gotten worse! He's starting to bring out this big old bushier knife!"

"ELL!" They yelled, turning a few heads in the process. Hermione clapped her hand around her neck.

"That's a little revolting isn't it?" Ron's bishop dragged of Harry's knight.

"It makes sense though. All the worry about Hogsmade and the excitement along with it." Harry said sensibly. Cleo sighed, for some reason she didn't think it was stress. Harry knocked over his own king into the grasps of Ron's queen.

"What are you doing!" Ron yelled out, shocked.

"I have a idea!" Harry said dreamily.

"That's a nice change." Ron grumbled.

"Shut up. Cleo, what if you use The Marauder's Map?" Cleo stared. _Me? Use his beloved map? _Hermione shook her head.

"First of all she doesn't know what it is second she doesn't know how to use it." Harry turned to Cleo.

"The Marauder's Map is a Map of the inter school that my father had made. It shows you _everything," _

"Including the ways out to Hogsmade!" Cleo squealed.

"Exactly! See she gets it, you should use my invisibility cloak if you're going to do it." Harry suggested. Cleo got a tingling sensation in the bottom to her stomach. _Harry's cloak! Oh I can hardly believe it! _

"Who am I to deny an adventure!" Cleo said nobly. Hermione didn't seem to keen on the idea but no one asked.

Time went on and Cleo could read her book much more easily. Her only distraction was the cloak ticking up above her. It reminded Cleo horribly like the _Tall' Tale Hart_ like it was almost taunting her with the wait. But when it finally clicked time Cleo threw up her book and ran up to Harry's dormitory.

She crawled down on her stomach, pulled the cloak out from under his bed and untied it. She let it ripple threw her fingers like cool spring water. She mentally smacked herself and swung it over her. _Hehehehe! _ Then she rummaged threw Harry's cloths drawers (finding things she was forced to close her eyes and push over) until she found the neatly folded parchment in, wouldn't you guess it, it was in his underwear drawer! She ran down the stairs and out the door. (Cleo was repeatedly brushing her hands on her school uniform to get of the filthy feeling of touching Harry's…belongings.) Ron was there to open the door for her so that Cleo could open the hump of the witch and easily slide threw.

Ones she did so and the hump had closed, her friends wished her luck and she was off. Cleo followed the short trail on the map that turned out to be long in reality. However, the thought of melt in her mouth chocolate allowed her to press on.

Especially when she could smell it from the candy stores box attic. Slowly she crept up to the opening of the attic door and pushed hard, apparently some boxes had been piled in front of it. She had the idea to take some of the candy ones she got in but felt it wasn't worth it. Before she snuck out she stopped in a corner and experimented.

It had been a theory of Hers ever sense the map appeared in the 3rd book, and Snape was able to make contact with Harry's father and friends that she might be able to communicate with them that way. Of course, these were a group of teenage boys, but all the same Cleo was wondering and nothing was stopping her. She pointed her wand at it and whispered.

"Hi…er…My name is Cleo Chestra and I'm a mischief maker and a friend of Harry Potters." She felt that would do it. Much to her pleasure some glittering words appeared

Yeah you're a mischief maker, a lire too!

Cleo practically choked and had to remind herself not to yell.

"Excuse you! Who are you!"

Padfoot…why?

"Sirus?" Cleo gasped.

Cleo never thought she might be actually fighting with Sirus, Sirus being one of her favorite caricatures but she had to bare in mind that he was merle an egotistic boy.

Why…how do you know that…Who told you?

"Harry." Cleo said simply. "May I please speak to Prongs? After all Harry is his son."

_James! Who have you been playing with! _

_Shut up Wormtail! Who I fancy is none of your concern!_

**Besides, everyone knows anyway! Its Lilly! **

_MOONY! Saying that in front of a stranger! _

"I already knew you fancy Lilly James, Harry told me."

How would this Harry know who is father fancied at school?

Cleo had now determined that she wouldn't have cared for Sirus much in his youth.

"Because my dear Sirus, Lilly was Harry's Mother." (Cleo felt comfortable sharing this all with them because, only being memories for there former selves they couldn't do anything about their futures anyway! It took a spell before putting yourself in an object to bring yourself out, and Cleo could tell they hadn't done that.)

_OOOOOOOOOO JAMES! _

_Shut up Wormtail! _

"Juvenile! One thing I like about Harry so much is he isn't so perverted!"

ENOUGH! If there really is a Harry Potter than give us some proof.

"Well I obviously can't show you visual proof but I'll try to give as much as I can. Hmm, well he's the one that taught me how to use this, I'm on my way to Hogsmade now to meet up with him."

_Did you hear that guys? My son knows how to work this thing! And use it for good 'causes too! _

I wont more proof.

"I'm working on it! Honestly! Ye of so little trust! Alright there is also the fact that I'm in James invisibility cloak that Harry lent me for the expedition."

**What do you reckon? That's enough proof for me. **

Cleo grinned even though they couldn't see it. _Trust Lupin! _

I wont to talk to Harry then.

"I'll try to get him as soon as I can Sirus, I promise you. I just hope he doesn't mind me experimenting, he doesn't know. I'm going to have to go 'yall. I wouldn't wont to leave them waiting."

_Them?_

"Yeah, Ron, Harry, Hermione and me, were all friends. Bye!"

_Bye!_

**Bye!**

Bring back Harry.

**Latter! **

"Much! Mischief managed!" The parchment cleared and shoving the paper into her purse Cleo scattered out of the little attic, down the stairs and into the store.

It was indeed _swamped _with kids. The young girl at the desk looked frightened out of her mind. Cleo tried her best not to find it amusing. She discreetly slipped of Harry's cloak and slipped it as well inside her purse.

It didn't take long for Cleo to locate her friends. (It wasn't at all difficult to spot Ron's red head.) She tip toed up behind them and tapped each of them on the shoulder.

"Er…pardon me, but what do you prefer? The levitating lemon sherbet balls or Bertie Bots every flavor beans?"

"Cleo! You made it!" Ron said excitedly. Cleo shushed him.

"Honestly! For people who sneak around so much I would think you would have learned not to scream out my name!"

"Sorry." Ron said shrugging. Cleo laughed.

"Quite alright. Now really, what do you suggest?" Cleo tried several of the classics and some new ones that she had to be careful about, noticing the glint in Ron's eye when he handed the sweets to her.

Harry, Ron and Hermione were still picking out their favorites when Cleo swore she saw something. Around the corner something peculiar was looming, perhaps some sort of animal. Cleo rubbernecked to get a glance of what it might be but in that position, it was still out of clear view.

Cleo got a sort of tickling excitement in her stomach as she stepped forward and reared her head around the Corner. Then, catching sight of it, Cleo felt the air clutch in her throat.

The dark figure dug his hand into her arm, slung her like a rag doll around and slammed her up against the wall.

"I've tried to warn you, you little imp!" As he reached to choke her and slipped the opposite had into his robes Cleo let out her award-winning scream. Everything swirled before her eyes. He disappeared but the fear lingered inside her as if she had just simply taken hiding in her body. She felt cold hands up against her and drowned voices. Worried, and Cleo wonted to help the people but nothing was clear enough, she felt like she was dyeing, or something similar. All she could feel and concentrate on was the pain wrenching threw her inter body.

After the pain had reached full force all gave away and lights were out.

He seemed to have taken hostage of her in tire body. It was a constant migraine in her head and pain beyond all reason everywhere else. There was no end until…

SNAP!

Everything crashed back into light, almost blinding after the darkness. She was in the hospital wing, bided to the bed by tightly snuggled blankets. Beside her bed there were glorious cards and all of her sweets from Hogsmade (Including some new kinds!)

There was one card from Seamus! She opened it and out flew some smiley faces that started frowning. _"Get well soon!" _the card, said. Cleo grinned.

"COOL!" She set it down and saw one from Ginny. Cleo was slightly shocked, She still had not personally met her yet, but she supposed Ron had told Ginny about her. Hers was pink colored parchment with lace around it and a big red hart on the front.

_Dear Cleo,_

_I was so scared when I found out about what happened. I know we haven't met but I feel like were practically best friends threw Ron, I've herd so much! I hope you feel better and to actually meet you soon! Haha! Bye! _

_Ginny_

Cleo set it down. She had always wonted to meet Ginny, and from here she seems more than open to meeting Cleo! This was a much better surprise than even Ginny would have expected. Beside Hers was Hagrid's. His was decorated with drawings (rather good ones as a matter of fact!) of beautifully colored dragons and stars.

_Dear Cleo,_

_I started crying when we got back to school with you. I miss you a lot and so dose Fang. The classes just haven't been the same without you. When you get better come to my hut, I have a cake waiting for you. (Figured be nice to have some sugar ones after all that.) Get better soon!_

_Hagrid_

She was smiling over the sweet letter when she heard voices threw the curtains.

"We need to make this quick, were not supposed to be here between classes."

"Yeah, not menacing Snape wouldn't let a chance slip threw his fingers to give us detention for being late… again." Cleo looked threw the crack in her curtains to see a blear of black, red and brown charging together towards her. Cleo sat back and waited for the curtains to be pulled back by her guests. Ron, Harry and Hermione slid threw and took seats already around her bed.

Ron was just about to sit when he saw Cleo awake.

"Cleo!" he gasped. Cleo put a mock frown on.

"Honestly! For people who sneak around so much I would think you would have learned not to scream out my name!" She broke out in a grin and hugged him. Ron was frozen stiff with shock. But Hermione was more than happy to give her a hug, Harry as well but was rather hesitant.

"Cleo, you just don't know!" Harry said after his hug.

"It was most horrible thing I have ever seen!" Hermione promised. Cleo snorted. _I doubt that. _

"Well, maybe not Harry but I'm sure it was mine!"

"Why what happened?" Cleo said worriedly. Ron broke from his shock and shook his head.

"You wouldn't know would you?" Cleo looked at the three of them. They were all pail and sweaty.

"What happened?" Cleo asked sternly. These tense poses were irritating when you were in need of information.

"I'm just going to find out sooner or latter." Ron hung his head. He didn't seem able to explain himself.

"What happened was this." Harry said finally "We were picking out some sweets and you must have started walking about or something."

"All we really know is that you had started screaming and we couldn't find you." Hermione said, a cloud of blue over her clear brown eyes. Cleo put her hand on Hermione's to comfort her.

"We found you after several other screams on the other side of the wall. Loads of people were already there. You were scrunched up against the wall in a tinny ball with your hands in your hair screaming your head off."

"You looked so strange." Ron croaked. Cleo turned to look at him but he hadn't knottiest. He was still looking at the ground with a look a grate concentration on his face. "You looked porcelain, really shinny and fair and your eyes didn't look real at all. They were glossed over and the size of Dobby's ears. Your pupils though were tinny, they almost weren't there and you wouldn't stop screaming…" Ron stopped and turned his head. Cleo starred but Harry continued for him.

"We pushed threw everyone and tried talking you back into reality, you didn't get it at all. You just kept staring at something no one else could see."

"That's when Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape came." Hermione interrupted "Snape pushed us out of the way and looked at your hand and into your eyes and stuff. He almost looked scared." Hermione whispered, as if she was still getting used to the idea. "Hagrid picked you up and took you back to school. You've been in hear for 2 months now."

"2 months?" Cleo exclaimed, for the first time looking away from Ron's red face. Hermione nodded.

"You've been screaming the hole time too. They wouldn't let anyone else be in the hospital wing. They took them some where else." (Now that Cleo thought of it her throat was sore.)

"And no one liked passing by the wing either, it was really sad, and creepy." Harry said thoughtfully. Cleo sat in silence for a long time.

"You know what this all means then?" They shook their heads. "That it's all real. It was the dark man that attacked me!" Harry started rubbing up on his scar. Ron's head snapped up.

"He…_he_ attacked you?" Ron stammered. Cleo nodded and thought hard.

"It was…I had even dreamed about what would happen not long before it happened!"

"Then how'd it happen if you already knew!" Ron asked excitedly.

"I couldn't remember then!" Cleo yelled.

"Do you remember what happened at Hogsmade?" Harry asked. Cleo nodded, shook her head, and then nodded again.

"Well, mostly. I remember the beginning, but the end, Du, was a mystery."

"What happened?" Harry pressed on. Cleo scanned her memory.

" 'Yall were picking out candy when I saw something around the Corner. I couldn't see it well so I went around to get a closer look. It was him I tell you! He grabbed my arm and said…er… 'I've tried to warn you, you little imp' ("Warn you? What kind of warning is it if you can't even remember!") And he reached for his wand and…" Cleo thought as best she could but nothing came to her. Her friends said nothing, a silence Cleo didn't like.

"You believe me don't you?" They were still quite. Cleo screamed. "GOD! How could I have been hallucinating? He was there! He attacked me! Fine you don't believe me? _Look!" _Cleo pulled the sleeve of her nightgown up and showed them the deep cuts of the dark man's nails.

"A hallucination _can not do that!_" she screeched pointing at it. "A hallucination _can not _cause excruciating pain for two months!" Hermione, Ron and Harry were all starring at the cuts with all the horror imaginable. Hermione started crying and put her head down on Cleo's bed.

"Cleo I wonted to believe you! I'm so sorry!" Cleo grabbed her and rocked her as the tears went on.

"We are too Cleo." Ron said. Harry nodded.

"Trust me, Ron and Hermione thought I was going crazy plenty of times." _I believe it!_

"Good. _I _was beginning to worry about _your_ sanity!"

Hermione's tears calmed and she sat up strait again.

"I am really sorry Cleo." Hermione whimpered. Cleo shook her head.

"Need not be." Cleo promised her. "I knew you would come to your senses." Hermione smiled before she screeched and jumped up.

"CRAP! We need to go!"

"Oh alright," Cleo said, waking up from the drama and somewhat dazed. "Er…could you bring my assignments." Ron looked at her strangely.

"You are better now aren't you?" Cleo smiled.

"I'm going to have to do 'um some time, and there isn't enough to do hear."

"I have them right hear." Hermione said rummaging threw her bag. "You boys go on ahead. I'll catch up with you." Ron and Harry waved goodbye to her and left. (Cleo supposed they still weren't all together comfortable with hugging.) Hermione was still foraging threw her bag until the clicking of the door ringed in the room. Then Hermione looked up from it and talked to Cleo in a hushed voice.

"Ron was crushed!"

"Hu?"

"After the day at Hogsmade he was like a ghost himself, haunting the wing like neither Harry or me! Every day he came and was late for almost all his classes, and spent a good many hours of the weekend hear too." Cleo felt a grate warmth inside.

"Honestly…no kidding?" Hermione shook her head.

"How wonderful!" Cleo said joyfully. "How's Harry and you?" Hermione sighed.

"Same as always. I'm just so terrified he might fancy someone else!" Cleo tried not to look worried. For a fact, he did fancy some one else. The pretty Ravenclaw girl Cho Chang who had without effort stole his hart with her good looks. (Cleo never found her all that attractive, but that might just be in spite.)

"Oh don't worry, by the way," Hermione said, reading her wrong. "You didn't get in trouble for going to Hogsmade, you had gotten promotion to go." Cleo took Hermione's confusion into her use.

"You better get going, you'll be late." Hermione took a breath and smiled.

"Oh yeah, hears your papers," she said handing her a good stack, but not as bad as Cleo had suspected.

"And I see you latter on tonight, I'll get Hagrid up hear soon." Hermione hugged her tightly and dashed off.

Cleo had finished all of her homework amazingly quickly, and with all her chocolate frogs, it made the work seem much sweeter. Madam Pomfrey had passed her bed when Cleo was half of the way done with all of her work. She had gone completely passed Cleo's bed, backtracked and looked astonished over at the up and about Cleo with her books and candy boxes scattered about the clean sheets of the bed.

"Cleo? Er…what?" She said sounding most stupid.

"Good morning Madam Pomfrey." Cleo said cheerfully, almost mocking her. Madam Pomfrey wrinkled her nose.

"What?" She said Loudly. Cleo looked up from her book.

"I said HELLO MADAM POMFREY!" Cleo yelled. Madam Pomfrey shook her head and took out earplugs from her ears.

"Well at least I know I won't be having any more headaches." She grumbled and walked away.

Cleo had several visitors that day. (Making Cleo fell _extremely _loved.) Hagrid had almost slammed threw the door to see her. (Madam Pomfrey had given him quite a bit of trouble about that, insisting that Cleo needed rest.)

"Why? She's been sleeping for 2 months!" And as a very strange surprise Dobby had come to see her as well.

"Dobby is _very_ glad to see you isn't dead miss!" He squeaked. Despite her lovely chats with her friends Cleo missed her classes terribly and couldn't wait to get out. (The wing was much to cold for Cleo's own personal taste.) It was _three_ days after her awaking before Madam Pomfrey had released her.

December 12th it was, Cleo would remember this date for all of time. She walked out and her class mates were all there to meet her! Hermione hugged Cleo, and as well as Lavender and Patty. The boys all patted her on the back, apparently thinking that was affectionate.

"Cleo!" Yelled Fred over the talking. "We have a party at the dormitory! Come on!"

They had smuggled some food from the kitchens in and loads of Butterbeer. Some children were playing music and singing songs long into the night. In fact Professor McGonagall had busted up the party, claming she could hear it from _her _room! Harry, Ron, Hermione and Cleo giggled their way up the stairs to the dormitories.

Cleo snapped out of her glee like the crack of a whip and stopped.

"Harry!" She said "Did you get your map and cloak?" Harry nodded.

"Yeah, I got them right before Hagrid came, why?" Cleo's eyes glinted.

"Right before the attack, I had a _amazing _discovery!" Harry starred.

"What?" Cleo bit the inside of her lip.

"Let's go get your map." Cleo rushed over into the boys dormitory, too much her relief, was empty. Harry brought out his map and laid it on his bed, where Cleo had sat.

"Now," Cleo said "Take you wand and say who you are." Harry was still hesitant but took his wand from his bedside table and put it on the map.

"My name is Harry Potter." He said timidly. The gray words appeared just as Cleo wonted them to. The three of her companions gasped.

Well I'll be dammed! That Cleo girl was right, there is a Harry Potter!

_Where? Harry? Son?_

Harry's voice was trembling when he spoke. Cleo put her hand on his shoulder.

"Dad?" he asked.

_In a matter of speaking, yes. This is only the memory of me speaking. _

Harry was shaking his head with his mouth opened.

"I can't believe this." He turned to Cleo. "Cleo…" He trailed off and looked back down at the paper. It was the most beautiful thing Cleo had ever seen. Harry had gotten in a conversation with Harry about Quidditch; Cleo had never seen anyone happier.

The felling of grate accomplishment filled her body, sadly it wasn't enough to keep her awake. It was nearly the next day before Cleo was dragged of to bed by Hermione.

Harry bid her goodbye, glared at Ron and they left. Cleo and Hermione were about to go to their dorm when Ron stopped her.

"Cleo…" Cleo turned around to look at him but he shook his head and said goodnight.

"Cleo? Come _on_!" Hermione yelled from inside.

Count down 'till Christmas

After he attack, Cleo felt more compelled then ever too figure out why she was hear instead of a American school, at least she could try to figure out one mystery.

She started the second she had gotten out of the hospital wing. Ron, Harry and Hermione helped too! Hermione looked up

"Origins of grate wizards," "Schools of today," and "Where it started," but none had a sign of anything America.

There was a grate sadness that she hadn't suggested but there was one good thing. She was back in class, having everything hands on again, instead of having Hermione tooter her. All of Cleo's teachers were glad to see her back, even Snape! Although, it wasn't what you would think. It was more like "Hello" and a glint in his eye, Cleo supposed that was a warm as he got.

At Care of magical creatures, Cleo's Pinnypook seemed more than glad to have her back (Neville had been feeding him while she was gone.) But Lindsey wasn't as keen. Lindsey, didn't look exactly as Cleo had remembered. She had Grate bags under her eyes, she looked underlie exosted. Still, in whatever condition she was in it still didn't stop her from making a few cracks about her fit.

"What were you screaming about Cleo? Did you see a bug?" Cleo felt the heat rise up her neck, around her ears and flare in her cheeks. She pivoted to face Lindsey coolly.

"No Lindsey, I didn't see a bug. I saw your face!" Suddenly her words were spitting with venom. Cleo smirked at her and marched off in the opposite direction.

Hermione scolded her for the reaction but Cleo had suddenly gone deaf. Cleo simply rolled her eyes and played with her Pinnypook. What Cleo was really glad about though, was getting to see Harry play Quidditch.

"I _can't_ believe I missed your first game! Dam that figure!" Cleo cursed, as they walked Harry down to the lockers.

"Oh, but you were there!" Harry guaranteed. "The Hospital wing is right above the dressing rooms, so we could hear you screaming the hole time! Needless to say we lost." Cleo stomped to ground.

"Honesty! Who ever heard of loosing the game for your team when you don't even play!" Cleo growled in frustration. "Well, I'll still be screaming today, but in the crowed." Cleo smiled. "Good _luck_ Harry!" Cleo squeezed his hand and left him to get ready, and take their seats.

They got the highest seats they could find in the stadium. (It was already quite full of people.) Cleo, in honor of Grifonder and the game Cleo put red and gold highlights in her hair, and succored it in a bun in the back of her head. (Cleo had done the same for Hermione, but her bun was considerable smaller.)

As they waited, some of there friends joined them, including Hagrid, Seamus, Dean, and Lavender. Finally, ones everyone had come the game started. The Hufflepuff team entered and as well as the Grifonder team from the opposite side. Cleo made herself heard by screaming like she had in the hospital wing. Harry looked up, laughing to her. Cleo waved and gave him thumbs up. Cleo could fell Ron shudder beside her.

"Don't do that." Cleo couldn't hold her laughter.

"Both teams have new captions this year." Lee Jordan announced.

"Grifonder's new caption is Katy Bell and new keeper Keith Shean!" Keith Shean was a big but friendly looking boy. His nose was flat and had small gray eyes. His skin seemed to flash, from how pail he was. Never the less, Cleo was going to be optimistic about his skills. (And he had better have skills to be on Grifonder team!) The Grifonder house yelled, over the boos of the Hufflepuff team. (Ron gave Hufflepuff his own special signal, sending Cleo into fits of laughter.)

"Sorry." He mocked "Reflexes." Cleo couldn't breath by now.

"The Hufflepuff's Caption this year is Jason Richardson. So we can expect an exciting game for today!"

"I had tried out for the position of keeper." Seamus told Cleo.

"Did you? How'd it go?" Cleo asked. Seamus frowned.

"I fell of my broom every time I tried to make a save."

"Oh, sorry." Cleo said and looked away.

The whistle sounded and the teams rose into the air. Harry had gone strait to the top and skimmed the ground below while all the action too place under him.

"Alicia takes the Quffle, passes it to Katy, WATCH OUT FOR THAT BLUDGER KATY! Thanks for that helps Fred! And OH NO! Hufflepuff chaser Kevin Scot takes the Quffle!" (Cleo gave a special boo to Kevin) But Angelina won't let him get away with that! She's right up his tail! And an OW! Bludger right to the head for Kevin! Nice aiming Gorge, Get that Ball Angelina! Nice catch! AND ANGELINA SCORES!"

The Grifonder crowed roared while Angelina spun around the goal posts, getting pats on the back from her teammates. (Harry was spinning around like a top in the air. Cleo giggled with excitement.)

"Teams get back to position, Quffle is thrown and the usual scramble to get it takes place. Can't see who has it right now…Oh! Hufflepuff Chaser Suzanne Mueller and going right to the goal post! Get it girls! Get it! Get it! Get it!" A large grown from the Grifonder crowed. Suzanne had gotten it in right over Kevin's head. Cleo was stomping the ground and screeching a high pitched scream, her hair falling out slightly and getting an odd look from her surrounding peers.

"Honestly! Just block the ball for goodness sake!" She huffed and leaned back in her chair. (Making an effort not make any eye contact with anyone.) The game went similarly until Grifonder was down by three points.

Cleo was simply furious and was more than willing to kick some Hufflepuff hinny when,

"Potter makes a spirited dive to the ground, my god he looks like he's gonna hit it, as well as Hufflepuff seeker Cho Chang! Ouch! Might need some make up for that Cho! Cho has hit the ground but Harry Potter is still going up! Around the Hufflepuff goal posts, watch out for that Bludger going to Potter! But Cho is up again! On your tail Harry! And…YES! There it is! Harry Potter has gotten the Snitch!" Cleo screamed.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" She started bouncing up and down. "We won!" She took Ron's hands and started bouncing with him. "YEAH HARRY!" Cleo yelled.

The celebrating continued even after the teams had left, Ron and Hermione practically had to drag her out! Before they went to meet Harry, Seamus was behind Cleo and asked her to stay a moment. Cleo let Ron and Hermione go on while she stayed back to talk to Seamus.

"Cleo…er hi." He said nervously. Cleo smiled.

"Hi Seamus." He gulped.

"Yeah, well, um, I was wondering. The dance is coming up soon and I was wondering if you're going with…with anyone." _Dance? _Thought a panicked voice. _What the Heck? Well…Oh!_

"Seamus…er…I need to get some information…um can I get back to you?" He was still staring at her when she turned and ran down to the lockers.

Her hair fell all the way out and flying from her face as she ran ever faster down the hall. Ron, Harry and Hermione were coming down the hall in which Cleo eventually skidded into them.

"Hello Cleo, interesting entrance." Harry said cheerfully. Cleo clung to Hermione's arm in order to prevent her from falling.

"Hermione, sense when has there been a dance and when were you planning to tell me?" Cleo pressed.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Cleo I forgot. It's a 'before break dance.' How'd you find out?" She asked while they got walking.

"Seamus just asked me if I wonted to go." Cleo told them. A sort of gasping sound came.

"Er…what you tell him?" Harry wondered, giving her a worried look. Cleo wasn't looking though.

"I told him I needed to get back to him, I didn't know what he was talking about!" Cleo laughed it off, told them she needed to do some Hogsmade Christmas shopping, and would be back by tonight.

"Harry, can I barrow you map? I still haven't memorized it." Harry nodded and Cleo was soon off to Hogsmade with her jingling bag of money.

Cleo, being a girl, had a _fab _time shopping for the gifts. She had bought Hermione her own hair stilling book and sweets, Harry a book of_ "The greatest seekers of all time"_ and sweets, Her parents a photo album that she would soon fill with pictures of things she had done at Hogwarts and sweets, Andrew some magic paint brushes and sweets, Ben a C.d. of the weird sisters and sweets, And last but not least Ron.

One problem…she had no idea what to get him! She didn't wont to give him something boring, but she didn't wont to give him anything that might flaunt the fact that she fancied him. Finally, she settled for something she thought was _perfect! _She was walking sadly around when she saw a new store…A Quidditch store.

Cleo thought she might find something useful in there and moseyed on in. It was filled with more useless merchandise than Cleo had ever seen in her inter life! Some where in the back with books and Cleo curiously looked threw them. (Finding the same book Cleo had bought Harry for a good amount less.) Cleo optimistically looked about the other way and stopped dead in her tracks.

There was a Chudly Cannons robe on (chu-ching) sale! Cleo grabbed it off its rack and pushed it forward on to the counter.

"Found something you like?" The woman at the desk asked. Cleo nodded gratefully.

"Good." The woman tore of the tag, Cleo gave her the money and Cleo had now completed the most successful-shopping trip in the history of all time! Cleo took her perches and dashed right back to Hogwarts in joy.

Under the invisibility cloak she climbed out of the witch statue and started going up to the Grifonder dorms. (To hide her gifts of course!) First of all, she needed to put away Harry's map and cloak.

Like a misty ghost she floated threw the common room and up to the boys dormitory. Just as she was about to open the door, she heard voices. Stopping to make sure that it wasn't Dean, Seamus, or Neville she listened.

"You've got to tell her Ron! If you don't someone else is just going to ask her! That's just what happened to me with Cho."

"But Harry she doesn't seem to fancy me at all, she just seems to think of me as a friend."

"Ron get over it and ask her!"

"I don't know Harry." Cleo silently gasped and completely forgot what she had come to do. Instead she, like lighting, ran down to the girl's dorms and slammed threw the door. Luckily, only Hermione was in there. Cleo threw off the cloak and dropped her gifts.

"Hermione! I can't believe it!" Cleo mourned, flopping down on her bed and not bothering to sit up strait.

"What? Could you not find a gift or something?" Hermione said with mild concern.

"Not at all! Hermione, I went to put away Harry's things and," Cleo took a hurried breath "and I heard Harry and Ron talking. Ron's taking someone else to the dance."

"What?" Hermione screeched, spinning her head around with a small 'pop.' Cleo nodded sluggishly.

"Yeah, you know he never seemed to really fancy me." Cleo shrugged and stood up. "I…I…I guess I'll just except Seamus's invitation. There's not much point to it if he's going with someone else." Cleo fell back down on her bed and shook her head.

"Man he must really have fallen for her! They way he was talking…! Scared out of his wits!" Hermione was sitting on her bed, thinking very hard, so hard in fact that the veins in her temple were showing.

"I don't understand…" She trailed off and turned away, muttering to herself. Cleo had trouble sleeping that night.

The sun shown threw their opened window. Susanna now near 10 was washing the dishes and looking out that window. There was a gentle nock on the door and her mother appropriately scurried over to the door to open it for their guest. There stood the woman who lived beside them, Mrs. Bunk with a basket of food.

"Why hello, Heather, what a pleasant surprise! Please, come in." Mrs. Wakfeild said, offering her a seat at the table in their kitchen.

"Oh no thank you Penny, I just came to offer you this basket and apologize for your lose."

"Pardon lose? I'm afraid I don't understand." A stunned look crossed Heather's face.

"You…you haven't heard?" Susanna stopped washing all together and turned around to watch the conversation. Her mother shook her head and Heather sighed.

"Better get in then, sit down." Mrs. Wakfeild did so and Mrs. Bunk sat beside her. There was a very long, tense silence with Mrs. Bunk would break ever so often with a deep breath and a glance at Penny.

"Mrs. Bunk please, what is it?"

"Your husband Penny, he's…dead." Susanna who had gone back to washing the dishes dropped and shattered one at the word dead.

"How?" Emily said, making her entrance.

"That's just it." Heather said in a disturbed manner. "We don't know, he's just…dead." Emily, although only six at the most took solemnly over her mother, and Susanna over her. Mrs. Wakfeild looked deep in thought, but then her eyes suddenly snapped. She gasped and grabbed the table cloth, just before she fainted.

The next morning Cleo took out the streaks in her hair and put two old fashioned braids in. She wasn't looking forward to the day ahead. She liked Seamus but not that way, and she would have much better liked being on Ron's arm instead of his. Still, Seamus was there and willing and there was no point in hopping for something that you're not going to get.

Cleo dragged herself down to breakfast and saw Harry and Ron bickering with each other, about asking that girl no doubt. Hermione glanced up and her, smiled (or something like it) and turned back to her toast. Cleo slumped into a seat between Ron and Hermione and didn't look at either of them.

"Morning." Hermione muttered. Cleo hummed back. Hermione looked at her from the Corner of her eyes. "When you going to tell Seamus?" Cleo shrugged and shook her head.

"I guess I could do it now." Cleo lifted her body up from the seat but felt a force on her arm. Cleo turned her head in the direction of what was holding her and she saw it was Ron! He was red and looking very worried. Cleo lost interest in his matters very quickly. What would he have to say to her?

"Yes Ron?" He glanced back at Harry who gave him a stern look and Ron turned back to her.

"I don't…think you should do that quite yet." Cleo sighed and leaned up against the table.

"Why?" He was shaking slightly but soon said,

"Would you like to go to the dance with me?" Cleo almost fell.

"What…but…er…HERMIONE!" Cleo barred down at the grinning Hermione.

"You _knew _he was going to ask me didn't you?" Hermione was laughing very hard. "And you lead me on like he was going to ask someone else!"

"I'm sorry," Hermione gasped "But he made me promise that I wouldn't tell!"

"Er…so dose this mean you will?" He asked above Hermione's hysterical laughter.

"Sure! Yes! Of Course!" Cleo flung her arms around his neck and hugged him. They were all laughing happily (and Loudly) almost all threw breakfast.

They were starting to gasp for breath when the Grifonder prefect came around with a sigh up sheet.

"Do you wont to say over for Christmas?" He rattled off, as rehearsed.

"Are you going to be staying for the holidays Cleo?" Ron asked. Cleo thought.

"I don't think so, my parents wouldn't like me being gone so long." Harry, Ron and Hermione looked a little down trotted.

"But neither should you!" Cleo smiled. Harry looked at her oddly.

"Cleo, I don't have a family to go home to."

"I know, I mean, sorry but 'yall could come home with me, to my house!"

"Would your parents let us?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Sure of it! We have plenty of room!"

"Are you going to sine up or not?" The boy asked, irritated. They shook their heads.

"Not this year." Harry said.

"Finnish up your food so we can go mail of a letter to my parents." They gobbled up their food and up to the owalrie.

Dear Mom and Dad,

As you know the Christmas Season is arriving and I was hoping you would do some seasonal charity for three of my friends. More specifically, could they come over for the break? The boys could sleep in Ben and Drew's room and the girl in my room! PPLLEEAAASSEE! Can't wait to see you! Bye!

Cleo.

Ron and Hermione wrote to there parents to make sure that it was alright (Harry hadn't bothered.) As they walked back down from the owalrie Ron suddenly remembered that he forgot to write his potions exam and that he would need Hermione's help.

"I can't believe I forgot it, er…Hermione help me I can't remember what's the difference between a frost fig and a ice fig!" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Honestly Ron, it's so simple! What's the difference from frost and ice?" Ron stared at her blankly. Hermione shook her head.

"This might take a while, you guys just go on ahead." Cleo nodded.

"Alright, but make it quick, class will start soon!" Harry and Cleo made their way up the stairs to Grifonder tower. Harry looked slightly upset.

"What's the matter Harry?" Harry shrugged and sighed.

"Nothing really, I just don't know who to ask to the dance."

"Did Cho turn you down or something?" Cleo mental smacked herself. _Kill me now, please._

"Yeah, in fact she completely encored me except for the rudest look imaginable! I didn't even know her face could contort into something so ugly!" Harry sneered.

"She's probably blames you for what had happened to Cedric last year."

"But why would she! She knows it wasn't my fault! Why would I kill Cedric? It was Voldimort!"

"I know it was Voldimort." Cleo told him. "Personally, I think that someone who can't trust you, your better off without." Harry looked at her. It was thoughtful, but not suspicious like it always was when Cleo revealed things she knew.

"You know a lot don't you Cleo." Cleo nodded and looked at him.

"Yeah, I do." Right then, she wonted to tell him everything she knew, but alas she could not.

"You know Hermione doesn't yet have a date." Harry sort of shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah, and I wouldn't mind taking her, its just I don't think she likes me that way and besides she's never liked the idea of being a substitute."

"Might as well try. I don't mean to sound like a match maker but I think you two would be a nice couple." Harry smiled at Cleo.

"Alright." Cleo shuddered ones they made there way into the common room.

"You know what's a little creepy?" Cleo asked them when they sat down beside each other.

"What?"

"If Voldimort has risen, you knottiest he hasn't done anything yet." Harry thought.

"Yeah, I've been wondering that too. You think he would have come and killed me by now."

"He must have a idea of his own." Ron and Hermione finished quickly.

"That was so easy!" Ron said.

"Really Ron, What gave you that idea?" Hermione asked sarcastically. Cleo nudged Harry.

"What? Oh...er…Hermione, I was thinking, wont to go to the dance with me?" Frustration completely melted away from Hermione's face and showed a shinning happiness.

"Sure." It was one of the best days ever in the history of Cleo's life! And there was only two more days until the dance!


	8. Chapter 8

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 8**

The Christmas ball

Two days latter, the day of the ball Cleo got her letter from her parents and as well and Ron and Hermione.

_Dear Stephy,_

("Stephy?" Harry laughed. Cleo shuddered. "Oh don't make me hurt you Harry." Harry muttered something like "I'd like to see you try." But Cleo chose to encore this extremely dangerous comment.)

_We would be glad to have your friends over for the holidays! We would love to meet them. Drew and Ben are coming too, so were sure to have a grate time! We bought four tickets for you and your friends to fly back home, there behind the letter. Your father and I will come get you at the air port. We'll see you soon!_

_Love,_

_Mom and Dad _

Ron and Hermione's parents said they could too. Fab! Everything was going fab! Cleo hardly bothered to pay interest to her classes, she couldn't think of anything but the dance and being with Ron, it was like a fairytale!

She was at Transfiguration during the count down until the dance. She was supposed to be turning a nettle into a haystack but all of her haystacks still had the nettle in them so she gave up and watched the cloak.

_Two more minutest. _

"Now class, if your nettle is still found, you might be saying the charm wrong. Now the proper way to say it is…"

_One more minuet._

"Yes, try that Miss Patel. NO, NO, NO STOP!"

_30 seconds._

"Another note children, mind not to anisette the 'e,' that will resolute in making the nettle sow all that is around them. Come Miss Patel, let's see if we can untangle you."

_20 seconds_

"Miss Patel, I wont hurt you now stop squirming! _Untaggla_!"

_10 seconds_

"See, that wasn't too bad now was it? I'm sure those marks will fad away in time for the dance."

_6 seconds_

"Next class we shall experiment on changing this nettle to a porcupine."

_3 seconds_

"That's all for today."

_2 seconds_

"Have a nice time at the dance!"

_1…FREEDOM! _Cleo scooped all her crud into her bad and speed out of the room.

"Oy! What you doing?" Ron called after her.

"Need to get ready!" Cleo called back.

"Why? It's not for a while!"

"You wont me to be an expectable date don't you!" Cleo blew him a kiss and continued to run, she had much work to do.

The glory of the ball was too great to describe. Grate green pines glittered silver almost as much as Cleo's eyes and scented the room with a warming sweetness. Fairies buzzed about like oversized flying lights along the enchanted ceiling, ones and a while nesting in some of the Christmas trees. Behind the teachers table was the largest and only tree with colors on it other tan silver. Under that was a small seen of baby Jesus in his mother's arms and Joseph behind them with his had on Mary's shoulder. In every corner of the grate hall were levitating bells that rung different festive songs. At the particular moment, they were jingling silent night. Cleo was so taken back by the how lovely everything was, she had the overwhelming scene that she might brake out crying sometime that night.

Cleo seated herself down to get a good look around the place. Her hair was in her usual body wave, and every now and then some crimped peace's. On the top of her head, she had put a think reef of holly, just to look festive. The night before the ball Cleo had fixed herself a new dress robe. It was green and shinned red when she walked. (A little trick she had with her wand.) On the cuffs top and bottom, she lined it with red. For the first time that year she put on some make up, not being all that fond of it. She had Christmas red lipstick on and some extremely subtle brown eye shadow on, just to flatter her eyes a little. Of Course, she had only gone to this trouble for Ron.

She smiled to herself when she thought of the look in his eyes. The sorts of look boys get when they're melting into there own puddle of admiration.

Someone cleared their throat behind her. As basic human instinct Cleo turned around and saw Hermione. She was in a dull pink robe and her hair was straitened.

"So what do you think?" She asked. Cleo tried not to frown.

"Predictable." Cleo hesitated. Hermione's eyes softened and looked down at her feet. Cleo tried her best to think of something to say.

"How would you like a early Christmas present?" Hermione looked up from her black shoes and up at Cleo with a questioning look. Cleo grinned and pulled out her wand.

"Arco Hermione's 1 gift." They stood there; waiting, some odd sounds came from outside the door. Then the door of the grate hall opened to allow the brightly rapped gift to them. Although, it didn't seem to know where exactly it was going, for it almost flew past Cleo's head and she was forced to a straining leap to catch it and gave it to Hermione. Hermione laughed a silent laugh and received her gift.

"Oh!" Hermione bellowed. Cleo (starting her own trend) had made her a blue robe that shinned silver when she moved. It had silver lining this time.

"Cleo! This is exquisite!"

"Nothing less for your date with Harry!" Cleo smiled. "Let's go fix up your hair and makeup." Cleo squeaked, and they scurried off to the bathroom to fix Hermione up.

Cleo picked out a specific hair do for her that night. It was two side buns that she knew (and was right) would look stunning on her. Swirled in the buns were silver hilights that matched her dress and matched her makeup. Yes, Hermione got makeup on as well, in effort to get Harry drooling. She had some shinning blue lipstick (Cleo suggested it be shinny so it wasn't too bold) and some brown eye shadow to compliment her cheery face. Neither of them were in need of blush, for both of them were very pink. Hermione sighed, paused, and then hugged Cleo.

"I look so pretty Cleo!" She said breathlessly. Cleo agreed.

"I knew those buns would look nice on you!" Cleo said, brushing some stray hair out of Hermione's face.

"I bet Harry will be simply quivering when he sees you!" Hermione gave her a hopeful smirk.

"If I'm lucky." Cleo didn't pay any concern to the comment.

"It's in the bag! We better go back to the grate hall, the boys could already be there!" Hermione grinned and they both stepped out of the bathroom and much to Cleo's horror, she saw the boys rounding the corner and making their way down the stairs. Cleo grabbed Hermione's arm and dashed into the grate hall.

"They're just coming down the stairs!" Cleo warned.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked, jittery. Cleo tossed her head about to look for the perfect meeting place.

"Ok, we sit right hear, half turned and when they come in we do this…" Cleo sat down and crossed her legs. She started laughing at an imaginary person across from her, and then turned her head, her hair tossing over her face, with a soft smile on. Hermione clapped.

"Bravo! I hear them outside the door!" Hermione rushed over to the table and sat across from Cleo. Cleo was lost her cool and was frantic.

"Quick! Say a gibberish word and laugh!" Hermione stared at her.

"What?" She said, giggling.

"Yeah, good, just keep laughing like that." Cleo said and joined her. Just after they begin laughing, they heard the door open and two people walk in. Hermione and Cleo turned their heads as planned. (Hermione did it perfectly! Cleo was so excited for her.) Cleo frowned. The boys both had their heads down. _Grate! A perfectly good 'turn and smiled' right down the drain!_ Ron was rubbing his head irritably with Harry trying to brake his laughter.

"Shut up Harry." Ron snapped viciously. "Just when I was getting ready a sinister box pelted me right upside my head! Whatever it was it…it felt like iron! I'm telling you that…DAM!" _About time_! Ron had finally caught sight of Hermione and herself. Harry, curious to see what had caused such a reaction, looked up and saw Hermione.

Cleo was filled with gladness when she saw the boy's form into their own puddles. Harry smiled at Hermione. Cleo couldn't quite put her finger on what the smile was behind. He seemed happy to see her…but Cleo wasn't sure if it was the look she wanted, Perhaps he just hadn't seen her as a date yet. No matter, Cleo was _sure, sure _that he would see her more than that tonight. Just something in the air promised more than friendship and more than anyone else in the world, Cleo wonted this to happen for Hermione.

Cleo nudged Hermione to move forward to Harry. This she did, but not as bravely as expected of Hermione. But Hermione didn't say that way. She stood very strait and smiled at Harry confidently.

"Hi Harry." She said. Harry nodded and grinned.

"Hi Hermione, you look nice, really nice!" _OOH! Really nice, that's good! Winner word! _Hermione turned her head around to Cleo and gave her a pressing look. "Could you leaves us please?" It seemed to say. Cleo didn't catch on quite as quickly, as was her way but figured it out in her own time.

Cleo wasn't sure weather Ron and caught the look himself or just thought it was naturally a good time, but he seemed ready to go himself. Cleo felt a blast of cold air tickle her ear.

"Come on," The sounds formed gracefully, like doves in a winter storm.

"What the…? Oh, yeah, ok." Cleo said, finding her reaction probably not best for the moment. Ron didn't seem to knottiest, he stiffly put his hand around her waist and lead her out to the garden just outside of the grate hall.

The air was cool and sticky; making Cleo fell absolutely revolting in her long gown but he took no knottiest to this either. Quite on the contrary he seemed to be concentrating very hard while still trying to maintain a romantic air. Cleo looked about the garden and, spotting a rose, delicately held it and smelled. She felt Ron watching her and looked up. He was simply staring, nothing else to him. Staring with clear eyes at Cleo.

"You look _beautiful_ tonight." Cleo tingled inside.

"Thank you Ron." She said affectionately. "You look wonderful as well." She knew that was just the thing to say. Ron was very self conscious about his second hand robe when he had a date with her, but Cleo thought regardless, that he looked nice. Ron was the exact color of his robes now and Cleo smiled.

"Ron," She said to brake the embarrassed silence. "I'm _really _glad you asked me out tonight." Now Ron was a good fiery red, strangely resembling a super hero Cleo had one's seen.

"Re-really?" Cleo nodded. It was all to plain that Ron fancied her and she felt no reason to hide her secret anymore.

"I've been actually hoping you would ask me out for a long time now. Really ever scene…" Cleo was stunned stupid. Ron has locked his lips around her own and had his hands were squeezing her tightly to him. _Oh my gosh. _Cleo thought as she gave herself up completely and closed her eyes tenderly. The kiss lasted quite a long time (even considering the fact Cleo never wished it to stop.) But as all good things must, it ended with Cleo felling indescribable. (As a writer I tried, it didn't work.)

When Ron released her, he was freaked out of his mind.

"Oh my GOD did I do that?" He yelled with his hands in his hair. Cleo gave him a toothless, squinting smirk.

"You know, right about know I would smack the guy who did that." Ron flinched very slightly as Cleo ushered him with a full smiled. "But I'll let you off this time." Cleo kissed him quickly and took his hand.

"Let's go tell Harry and Hermione. Ron looked extremely relieved. Harry and Hermione were over at the punch bowl laughing and talking with each other. Harry must have just told a joke because they both burst out laughing, that's when Hermione saw them.

She set down her cup and looked about ready to faint.

"Oh my gosh." Harry turned his head to see. He looked up at them normally at first but then saw their hands. Cleo feared for his glasses for his eyes looked like they were going to smash right threw them!

"What's going on hear? Ron I told you don't put any spells on her!" Harry was frantic but Cleo stayed calm.

"Ron!" Cleo said accusingly. "Why'd you kiss me if he said no spells?"

"You kissed her?" Harry and Hermione yelled in unison. Ron had his hand over his face.

"I didn't mind." Cleo told them. Ron took his hand off his face and smiled at her.

"So…are you together now?" Hermione asked eagerly. Cleo looked up at Ron who was grinning hard.

"Duh!" Hermione lit up like a bulb and hugged Cleo.

"I can't believe it! That's wonderful!" Cleo had difficulty believing it herself. Harry had started conversing with Ron so Cleo thought it would be alright to take Hermione and talk. She saw across the room that Lindsey had taken Malfoy as her date, while Pansy Parkinson was in the corner scowling at her. _Well, at least you know he can't get lower. _She focused back to Hermione.

"So how's it going with Harry?" Cleo asked ones they were out of earshot. Hermione shrugged.

"Fine. I can't expect a kiss out of this yet, but other wise nice." Hermione said holding her disappointment. Cleo comforted her.

"Well, Harry doesn't jump into things so quickly, Ron just weird." Hermione laughed.

"He did say I looked pretty." Hermione said. Cleo nodded.

"Yeah I heard."

"No that was after he said I looked 'really nice.' " Cleo put her hand on her chest.

"Oh terribly sorry, is that all prince charming said?"

"No, he started making terrible jokes."

"Well, that's a start!" Cleo told her hopefully. Hermione shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess so." Cleo smirked and put her arm around Hermione.

"You know, We could have a double wedding." Hermione giggled and put her hand over her mouth.

"Cleo! Honestly!" Cleo encored her, like she was in some vision at the time or something.

"Just think of it! Mrs. Hermione Potter and Mrs. Cleo Weasly! Brilliant!" Hermione was giggling uncontrollably by now, which Cleo gladly joined in.

They sat themselves down laughing and giggling with their girlish ways. Cleo was talking with Hermione when she first met her. At first, she stayed a little Awa's but in time made her way forward. Cleo looked up and felt as if she had known her her inter life.

It was Ginny.

She was In her purple dress robe and had her soft red hair out loose, But there was a glint in her eye, and how she beamed, Cleo couldn't help but associate her with a little angle.

"Ginny?" Ginny tightened up as her cheery round face smiled.

"Yeah, I thought we should meet, now that you're with my brother." Cleo was all a flush. The night was full of dancing (and huge flirting).

The Teachers had to send students up to bed by some spells because they were so hooked up with Caffeine; they would not go voluntarily. Cleo, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to bed themselves but had no intention of sleeping. (Of course, they had their share of soft drinks as well.)

When they had climbed into the common room, it was completely silent with no sign of entertainment. Hermione yawned. "I'm just going to go get ready for bed, Cleo, tell me if you think of anything to do." Cleo agreed.

"Yeah, I'll do the same I think." Ron said and went up the stairs shortly after Hermione. Harry and Cleo were left alone in silence.

"So what were you talking to Ron about after we came in?" Cleo asked. Harry lifted an eyebrow at her.

"Guy stuff, so what were you talking to Hermione about?"

"Girl stuff, What were you talking to Hermione about when Ron and me were gone." Harry was trying not to blush.

"Nothing." Cleo laughed.

"She must have had a grate time!" Harry defiantly blushed.

"I thought she did."

"How?"

"Why do you care?" Harry snapped.

" 'Cause I think theirs more in Hermione than you're taking knottiest to." Cleo said coolly. Harry looked at her.

"In what way?" He said skeptically.

"I think if you opened your eyes you could figure that out." Harry was breathing deeply threw his noise. Then some sounds came from his mouth; Cleo couldn't distinguish them as words but threw those muffled sound they formed.

"Cle-Cleo I…don't know how I fell about Hermione." He posed, thought, breathed deeply and turned back to Cleo. "Its weird. When I look at her, everything stops." He stopped and looked back down at his feet, muttered some things while shaking his head and fell silent.

Cleo wasn't sure weather she should say anything, but it was confirmed that he fancied Hermione. Still Cleo thought it wouldn't be wise to point this out, for it might shut off his feelings all together. Cleo simply smiled at him and ended it at that. Hermione and Ron trotted down the stairs in their pajamas with over super dosed smiles on their faces.

"So what you wont to do?" Ron asked, rubbing his hands together. Harry snapped out of his wondering quickly, most likely to avoid suspicion.

"Wont to go visit Hagrid?" Cleo suggested. Hermione erased that idea from Cleo's mind clear enough.

"We'd get in trouble Cleo." Cleo hadn't really expected to go, shrugging just didn't seem a suitable answer.

"We could play chess." Ron said hopefully. Hermione denied that as well.

"The caffeine only lasts so long, I doubt that any of us would be a worthy appointee." Ron took pride in the "worthy appointee" statement, yet they were still left with out entertainment. Cleo was thinking with all her strength (which was plentiful at the time so she was willing to use it.)

"Why don't we just get some food?" Harry shrugged. _Chu-ching! Little light bulb lights on top of head! _

"And I know just what to get!" Cleo said triumphantly. Ron, Harry and Hermione turned their attention to her. "Popcorn!" None of them seemed particular riveted by this, but having nothing better laid before them they agreed and went down to the kitchens.

When they had tickled, the fruit the door opened so see that all was still and dark. Nothing was happing and no house elves seemed to be there.

"Where are they?" Ron wondered.

"Well isn't it obvious? They must be sleeping. Hopefully in proper quarters." Hermione mumbled. Cleo took out her wand and lit it. A narrow beam broke threw the darkness, followed by three others. Cleo crept carefully around the kitchen, looking for any sign of life.

"What's this?" Harry had drifted apart from their huddle to the wall beside them. He was pointing his wand at a cold stone wall, with a notch on the side of it, cracks all along the bricks. Broken down wall you might think, but the odd thing about it was the cracks were in a strait and perfect like, and the notch could easily be used as a knob.

Harry gripped the notch and pushed forward. The wall creaked open with cement dust pouring down hear and there. Harry turned to them; Cleo, Ron and Hermione all looked at the door with wonder. He raised his eyebrows adventurously and snuck inside. Cleo, Hermione, and Ron cautiously followed behind him.

Inside it was too very dark, a creepy warning darkness. Cleo looked about the darkness carefully, straining to see if there was anything to grab on to. In the far corner, she saw something move. She squinted harder, it seemed like the dark was forming a face, no not a face, more like a hood. Cleo lifted up her wand to shine the beam of light on it. Nothing there.

"What is it Cleo?" Hermione asked. Cleo shook her head.

"Nothing." Harry marched forward fearlessly; being Harry while the other three stayed closely nit behind him. Hermione, beyond her brave expression was gripping painfully into Cleo's arm.

"I'm not sure about this Cleo." She whispered, Cleo nodded.

"Harry Potter?" Squeaked a voice suddenly. Cleo, Ron and Hermione clutched each other in horror along with ear shattering screams. Others followed not of their own, just increasing in Cleo's fright.

"SHUT UP!" Harry ordered "Is Dobby!"

"Dobby!" Cleo, Hermione and Ron said breathlessly.

"What are you doing here?" Cleo whinnied.

"I sleep here Miss, What are you doing hear?"

"You sleep _here_?" Hermione sneered. One of the screaming house elves turned on the light. Then they could see millions of normal beds in rose with differently colored blankets on them. Hermione didn't look pleased with them, But Cleo thought they looked similar to a lot of her friend's back home beds.

"It is much better than what Malfoy's gave Dobby! Dobby was forced to sleep in the basement with the scary poltergeist!" Dobby shuttered. "The only reason they kept it there was to scare me!" The house elves shook their heads sadly behind them. Winky stepped forward in her miniature night gown.

"Is there anything we could get you?"

"Well, if it isn't much trouble could you get us some popcorn?"

"And some apple pie?" Ron interrupted. Hermione, who seemed to be a little edgy from the house elves, glared.

"Ron, you don't need any more sugar." Ron gasped.

"Don't say those cursed words!" The house elves bustled about to retrieve their orders.

Ones the elves had given the food to the four of them; they apologized for interrupting them and went back to the dorms. They were in the common room chatting and eating far longer than they had expected, until five in the morning to be exact.

"OH! We had better get to bed, McGonagall would furious if she saw us up!" Cleo obeyed, and soon found herself in deep slumber.


	9. Chapter 9

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 9**

Home at last

"No one said that the holidays will be free, you just watch out child, you just watch out." Cleo shook herself awake from yet another nightmare with that figure. She rolled her eyes and fluffed up her pillow again.

"Screw you." She muttered and fell back asleep. The morning she was awakened rather rudely by Crookshanks pouncing on her stomach.

"Crookshanks, get of her!" Hermione hissed. Cleo rubbed Crookshanks down her back and sat up.

"Get your close on, we'll be off soon." Cleo put her hair in two simple braids, and put on a black dress.

"You look like your going to a funeral." Hermione said while she tried her best to push Crookshanks into her basket.

"And you look like a witch trying to push a cat into a basket." Cleo joked. Some banging on the door and yelling came.

"Stop getting yourself all made up and lets go!" Ron yelled.

"Ron!" Cleo yelled back indignantly. She and Hermione picked up their suite cases, and with some considerable pushing made their way down to the train station to take them home.

The four of them ended up being early (Cleo glared at Ron, who shrugged) and picked a compartment in the front.

"This is odd." Harry said with a bit of a twinge in his eye. "This is like going home for the summer." Cleo smiled sarcastically when she fell down on the seat beside him.

"Yes, so much to look forward to there!" Ron shook his head.

"I'm tellin' yea' Harry, just come over for the summer! Forget Dumbledoor!" Hermione glared.

"Ron I think there might be reasons Dumbledoor doesn't won't Harry coming to your house." She shrunk into her shoulder a little. "I mean, with the rise of you-know-who and all." Cleo had to agree with her.

"But you know," Cleo said thoughtfully for the second time. "Voldemort :shudder came from Ron: hasn't done anything yet! Don't you think he would come and…" Cleo looked over at Harry and decided not to finish her sentience. "But you would think… for whatever reason he's stalling it can't be good!" Hermione was looking intently at Harry, knowing just what Cleo was going to say. Cleo hatted the way the three of them were too scared to say anything so she excused herself to go to the bathroom. She closed the door behind her and looked in the merrier. _HONESTLY, J.K. Rowling must have cut out the parts where they won't even TALK! _Cleo shook her head and starred out the window.

Cleo shrieked. The clouds were doing something very strange, and highly disturbing. They were forming the dark figure's face. Ones it was completely detailed and realistic it stopped moving, except for the lips twitching into a smile. Cleo's hand clutched for the door knob and flung it open, stumbling outside and running to her compartment.

"Harry! Will you just tell us what's the matter?" Cleo heard Hermione's voice before she came in.

"I saw him again!" Cleo whispered. Harry looked underlay terrified in a way Cleo had never even imagined. Cleo forgot her fear instantly and sat down beside him.

"Harry, what's wrong?" he gulped. _Ok, this is not good, not right; Harry is never this emotional. _

"My scar hurt." He choked. Cleo didn't understand.

"But Harry, its hurt before…" Cleo began but Harry was shaking his head.

"Its been hurting a lot!" His head snapped suddenly and startled Cleo. "Every time you see the figure." Cleo was thinking then.

"Harry, I think I just had an epiphany, I think I know who the figure is." It was rather pointless to say it allowed, judging by the look on her friend's faces they already knew.

"I think that might be Voldemort." Ron practically fell of his seat with the shudder he had.

"But why is he attacking _you?" _Hermione cried. Cleo shrugged.

"Close to Harry I guess… It could be a trap! He might hold me hostage and Harry would come get me and he would kill him…"

"SHUT UP!" Ron ordered. Cleo sat bolt strait, silent. He swallowed and twitched.

"I'm sorry Cleo, but it just can't be true. It's not going to happen!" He swore. Cleo felt a cold tear run down her cheek that she hastily whipped away. Cleo jumped up from her seat and rapped her arms around him, rocking each other.

"We _have to tell Dumbledore!"_ Hermione instead. Cleo completely agreed.

"Yes, yes, lets go now please!"

"Were about to leave soon." Ron pointed out. Cleo gave him a timid smile.

"If we miss it we can fly there in a turquoise car." He laughed, but then realizing she wasn't supposed to know that he looked at her strangely. Cleo took her cue to leave and go find Dumbledore. It didn't fell like Cleo's feet were even touching the ground, she was moving so fast.

Into the castle, up the stairs and to the gargoyle that was the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

"Start saying candy names!"

"Why?" Ron asked.

"It must be the password Ron." Cleo said obviously.

"Duh." Hermione added. Cleo nodded. _Duh indeed! _They started throwing out candy names randomly.

"Er…Fizzy Whizbees?" Harry started. Ron shook his head.

"No, maybe erm…levitating sherbet balls?"

"Doesn't seem to be." Hermione spat in frustration. "Toothflossing Stringmints?"

"Only your parents would use that Hermione, no offence." Ron said "Cleo, you try one." Cleo's mind had gone blank with fury. All she could think about was telling Dumbledore, what did she care was his favorite candy?

"Vomit flavored beans for all I know!" The gargoyle swung open.

"EWE! Why would he pick that?" said a discussed Hermione. Harry had a look on his face saying _I know! _

"Stop goggling at the stairs and let's go!" Ron said urgently. They dashed up them and into Dumbledore's office.

"Professor!" Harry announced. Dumbledore wasn't there. He was in fact replaced by Snape who stood up and glared at them. Ron's head leaned over to Cleo's neck.

"Crap."

"No wait, he might be useful." Cleo only said this because a quote from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire" came to her. _"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "You know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…if you are prepared…" _The second Cleo had read that, encoring the excitement in her stomach at the time, she had known what he had to do.

"He had been going undercover to Voldemort's meetings, 'cause he was a deatheater."

"How do you know?"

"I can fell it." Cleo said. Snape spoke like a gun shot.

"What is it."

"Professor, Something's come up." Hermione spoke clearly, yet timidly.

"What might that be?" There was a pose as Cleo thought of the wording.

"We think…that maybe Voldimort is the one that attacked me." Snape eyes were whipped of their usual coldness and substituted with fear and confusion.

"How can that be?" He said more to himself than them.

"I been having pain in my scar every time she sees this figure. We think it might be a trap to kill me Professor." Hermione clutched Cleo's arm.

"How can he say that so easily?" She whimpered.

"But that can't be!" Snape instead.

"And why not Professor?"

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore walked threw a door behind Snape.

"What is this all about Professor?" He asked calmly.

"They think that Voldemort is the one that attacked Chestra Albus." Dumbledore looked down at the four of them nicely.

"Don't worry yourselves. I don't believe Voldimort himself would attack you my dear."

"But Professor! Harry's scar hurts every time Cleo sees him!" Ron debated.

"Is that so." Dumbledore said, "Well, I suggest you don't worry about it. After all, it is Christmas! The train is about to leave so the four of you best be off." He said leading them out.

"Professor!" Ron whinnied.

"I assure you Mr. Weasley that we have the situation completely under control." And he closed the door, just after he plucked a hair from his head. Ron huffed down the stairs in front of them.

"Can you believe that? He didn't even seem to care!"

"Lay of it Ron, Dumbledore knows a lot more than you." Harry snapped back down at him. Cleo knew well of Harry's grate admiration for Dumbledore, one they both shared in.

"So it's not Voldimort." Cleo said when they had come out of the school.

"If it isn't you-know-who then, how is Harry's scar hurting?" Hermione wondered.

"Well, Dumbledore never said he wasn't involved."

"Yes, he must be involved," Harry agreed. "That's without a doubt. The real question is how is Cleo involved and who's the guy attacking her! Cleo, do you have any enemies?"

"No! I mean, there is Lindsey but she's not capable of this and besides the figures a man, I can tell by his voice." They were back inside by now and Harry had just slammed open the door.

"What is with all these dead ends!" he said angrily. Cleo did not know what to say.

"Dumbledore's right Harry." Hermione cooed "Its Christmas, lets stop being detectives for a week and relax." She almost begged. Yes relaxing would be good; this was a very stressful subject! And as Harry had pointed out there was always a dead end!

Ron brought out some exploding snap he had proudly swiped from his brothers and started playing with Cleo and Hermione. Harry was simply frustrated and refused to play. Instead, he starred out the window, encoring everything that would destruct him from his own effort to be a stubborn mule! (Or at least that was Cleo's opinion.) After two hours or so, they arrived at Kings cross. Cleo had made sure that they had gotten all the non-magical entertainment they could think of, 'cause it was going to be a while.

"Where do we go now?" Harry asked.

"Now we need to get a cab to take us to the airport. Mom gave me some money so lets get going." They were out on the street trying to get a car when Cleo saw the smoke of a car turn into the dark figures face. Harry winced.

"Is he there?" he asked threw his pain. Cleo snarled at the smiling cloud of smoke.

"Yeah he's there. You ok Harry?" Harry nodded.

"I'll be fine." A cab came up and they climbed in.

"When are we going to get food?" Ron asked over the growling of his stomach. Hermione looked around Cleo to him.

"Ron, I don't mean to be rude but, for a scrawny boy you sure can eat a lot!" Ron sneered at her. Cleo laughed, but quietly, for more of a safety measure really.

"There's going to be a meal on the plain?" Cleo bit her lip.

"…Er…Hermione what class are we?" Hermione checked the tickets.

"Coach, why?" _Well, peanuts…that is sort of dinner, or not. _

"No reason." Cleo muttered. The bill for the cab was highly over priced! Ron offered to put a memory charm on him but Cleo thought it might not be the greatest idea so she just paid him. The driver drove off muttering something like "Children and their stupid ideas, magic! Ha!" Now on to yet another way of traveling.

"Why is America so far away?" Ron whined.

"It's a completely different country Ron what do you expect?" Hermione snapped. Hermione herself was getting really edgy. Everyone was tired. Harry was silent and thinking, Ron was hungry and whining, Hermione was stern and Cleo was stuck in the middle. (Or something like that, three isn't an even number.)

They were going (and going and going) to their plain, passing by far to many food stains. Ron asked Cleo if they could stop but Cleo couldn't, even if she wonted to.

"That stupid cab driver took all of our money. We have about enough to buy a peace of a French fry hear."

"I could eat that!" Finally, they got to the plain just in time for boarding. They were going in when Crookshanks jumped out of her basket and ran on to coach.

"Crookshanks! No!" Hermione said with what seemed to be last bit of energy she had left. But Cleo was wrong in thinking because Hermione zoomed down the hall and past the attendant, leaving Ron, Cleo, and Harry to speed after her. (The attendant was pinned to the wall by the time Cleo passed.) Hermione scooped Crookshanks up and sat in her seat. They had seats side by side, two in one row and two in the other. Cleo smiled when she guessed that her father spent all day finding the perfect seats.

Cleo and Ron sat together while Harry and Hermione sat on the other side. Hermione grinned for the first time in a while when she saw that. Everything was going just fine for a long time. They had a lousy British sitcom on a television screen in front of them and loads of radio stations, but everything was only going fine until it was dinner time.

Ron perked up suddenly from zoning out on the seat in front of him. Cleo knottiest.

"What is it Ron?" He wasn't paying attention. His eyes were clear and attentive.

"Dinner." He said dramatically. He sat up even straighter. "My gosh! They're giving us spaghetti!" Cleo braised herself. She knew that they weren't going to get spaghetti, but instead get a bag of…

"Peanuts!" She heard Ron's disgruntled voice threw her worried thoughts. "What about the spaghetti! Whereas the spaghetti!" Cleo turned to look at him reluctantly.

"In first class." She muttered.

"No." Ron said insanely "I can't live on this! I'm going up there!" He pulled himself up from his seat. Both Hermione and Cleo yanked him back down.

"Are you crazy! We'll get in so much trouble!" Hermione hissed.

"I'm not crazy, I'm hungry! Are you with me or not?" Cleo had to admit it was rather tempting.

"How will we get away with it?" Cleo asked. Ron smiled.

"Theirs a bathroom between first class and coach." Harry said around Hermione. "All we do is 'go to the bathroom' and sit in a empty seat."

"Won't they recognize us from coach?" Cleo asked.

"No, Crookshanks ran away so the attendant never saw us!"

"What about the tickets? If they notice, we weren't in there before they'll ask!" Cleo warned. Ron began to take out his wand.

"Ron no! Do you wont to be expelled?" Cleo squeaked frantically.

"There isn't a restriction during the holidays, just as long as it isn't too bold." Hermione was stumped so they handed over their tickets, which Ron turned into first class. He raised his eyebrows and got up.

"Excuse me."

"Wait up for me!" Cleo said, trotting after him.

"Don't make me go!" Harry said playing along and following them.

"Honestly! Could we say this a bit more…sanitary!" Hermione went after them. Ron went into the bathroom for ten seconds and came out again.

"Look." He said nodding of to a row in the in the middle…with four empty seats! "Lets go." He said, put on a casual attitude.

"Oh, did they already bring dinner?" Ron asked, looking down on the dinner casually.

"Believe so, better ask the attendant to serve us." Cleo said sitting down. They all sat down.

"Oh my gosh! Their playing 'My fair lady!" Hermione said excitedly.

"Look! Theirs radio stations from all around the world!" Harry observed.

"And theirs food!" Ron whispered. "Attendant may I have some dinner please." A tall woman with brown hair nodded, but stopped.

"Were you here before?"

"We were in the bathroom." Hermione explained.

"All of you?" The attendant asked suspiciously.

"No!" Ron laughed. "First I went and they waited."

"But I should have gone first 'cause I had the worst stomach ache!" Harry debated.

"You weren't the one who ate six boxes of jelly beans!" Cleo snapped back convincingly.

"Yeah, you might wont to clean that out." Harry said the attendant and pointing back at the bathroom.

The Attendant looked sick to her stomach and put up her hand.

"I'll be right with you." She said and went into the kitchen. Cleo high-fived Harry.

"Grate improvisation Harry! Gorse out factor! Classic!"

"You weren't bad yourself!" Harry said with a big grin.

"Well I am a actress." Cleo said divinely. They laughed and watched the movie. The Attendant brought them all stemming plates of spaghetti and bowls of ice cream. It was the next day when they finally arrived in America. They were all drowsy and sore from the ride but when they were finally home they couldn't be happier.

Ron collapsed on Cleo's big green couch and stayed there, stagnate for a couple of minutest.

"Who's in there?" called a friendly voice from the kitchen. Three men walked in. The one in the middle was the tallest and fairest. He had blond hair speckled with brown and blue eyes. Although he was skinny, he was very muscular. Most of Cleo's friend that saw him said he was hot. He was her second oldest brother Robert, but everyone called him by his middle name Ben.

A little lower was Cleo's oldest brother Andrew. He had a naturally intimidating expiration on his face. Wearing all black with sunglasses and a one raised eyebrow. Many of Cleo's friends shrunk and walked away when meeting him, but Cleo knew that he really was a pussy cat just…different. The last was Cleo's father who walked over and shook Harry's hand.

"Hello, I'm Cleo's father, _Mr. Chestra."_ He said, acting like the regular suspicious father of a teenage girl. Harry looked over at Cleo like _He can't be serious_ But responded courteously.

"Very good to meet you Mr. Chestra. I'm Harry Potter, this is Hermione and Ron." He said pointing back at them; they waved only to be laughed at.

"Harry Potter, right! Cleo, how long did it take you guys to reuse this?" Andrew stepped forward and pulled her father aside. Cleo knew that Andrew _had _read the books, unlike her father. By the time Mr. Chestra had come back, he gave them a week smiled and offered to have them sit.

"That is Ben, and that is Andrew." Cleo said pointing to them. Ben nodded at them while Andrew smiled. Cleo didn't expect them to say mush more, they usually shunned her friends but Andrew took of his glasses (revealing the blue eyes belonging to all the Chestra children) and got into conversation with Harry.

Andrew was a very good actor although he had never seriously considered going into the profession as Cleo.

"What have you been doing at School?" He asked with a deep warm voice. (Even though, it had the tendency at first to make you shudder.) Harry looked at Cleo for reoccurrence, which she gave without hesitation.

"Mostly studying for O.W.A.L.S." He said darkly. Hermione gave him a McGonagall imitation.

"Harry, O.W.A.L.S are very important, I've been studying them…"

"Cents you were born." Ron broke in. Andrew looked at Ben and grinned. _Yeah that's them. _She could just hear the words flow threw his brain and out his ear. Andrew went on like that, eyes growing with interest with every answer. Dinner was called in a matter of minutest.

They sat down, the girls gossiping over the nauseating sounds of the boys eating. Her mother pointed out then that Cleo had a British ascent now, which made Cleo tingle.

They had dinner, watched a tear jerking Christmas Move and at her mothers request…

"Why don't you go to bed darlings?" Ron and Harry frowned, Cleo however leapt from her chair, kissed everyone goodnight and dashed upstairs, leaving her friends to drag behind her. Hermione was going to sleep in her bedroom and the boys with her brothers.

"Your brothers are nice." Hermione said when she had gotten to Cleo's room. Cleo laughed.

"Yeah, but when they find out I'm going with Ron there going to eat him alive! I'll just wait 'till they're all warmed up and I'll tell them while I run out the door." Hermione laughed and got her night gown on.

The quartet filled into the bathroom to brush their teeth and threw the frothy spit they conversed.

"I can't believe your Dad was suspicious about _me_!" Harry told them when a pea sized amount of toothpaste on his toothbrush. Ron looked at Cleo in the corner of his eye; Cleo bit the inside of her lip.

"Food was great!" He said quickly. Harry nodded and spit.

"I know! Your Mum and Ron's should get together! They would be so wicked!" Ron shrugged but was smiling.

"I think my Mom would like yours." Cleo said, thinking back to how Mom would say how much she admired her. They finished a broke up in pairs.

"Have fun with my brothers." Cleo said, trying not to crack up laughing. Ron looked at Harry and crept cautiously into the bedroom. Cleo and Hermione crawled into bed.

"Night Cleo."

"Night 'Mione."

The sun refused to shine that day, which suited their pain just fine. Susanna, now a striking 15 held her mothers freezing left hand; her 11 year old sister Emily held her right hand. Their mother was laying in her bed, straining for every last few breaths. She turned her sweaty face over to Susanna who smiled at her like there was nothing the matter. She looked like she wanted to say something to them, but it took such effort. Emily saw this and quickly calmed her.

"Shhhhhh mother, don't hurt yourself." Emily said, squeezing her mothers hand tighter. Mrs. Wakfeild turned her head to Emily and smiled.

"Sweet Emily, so strong," Strained breath "Stay strong Emily."

"I will Mamma." Emily said reassuringly. Mrs. Wakfeild slung her head towards Susanna.

"Take care of her Susanna," Breath "don't fear…_anything_." Susanna nodded and smiled a weakened smile sense her eyes started to fill up with tears. Her mother sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"With my last breath…" Deep breath "must tell you now…"

"Easy Momma." Susanna warned her.

"You're…." Another strained breath "father…he was…" Penny coughed. This was her last breath, they all knew that. Mrs. Wakfeild breathed in.

"Wizard."


	10. Chapter 10

Cleo Chestra and the Wizards of America: Chapter 10

'Twas the day before Christmas…

And all threw the house, actually nothing was really happening. Cleo assumed as she rolled over to keep the light of day away from her that her mother was awake. She could smell the waffles and biscuits wafting around the house and seeping threw the cracks of her door.

"Fine!" Cleo bounced up from her bed and threw the covers of her. She had forgotten Hermione was still in it and at the feel of cold air on her bare feet she curled up and turned her head to look up at Cleo questionably.

"What are you doing? It's only 9:00!" Cleo rolled her eyes.

"The waffles have taken me hostage yet again. Not even blissful sleep can keep me away from them." Hermione sat up and looked up at her with a drowsy smile. Her eyes still seemed to be focussing.

"I'll come with you." She said. "With that description of breakfast I'll have trouble getting back to sleep." Cleo smiled and helped her up. They didn't even bother to get dressed. They just slipped on their robes and rather stumbled down the stairs into the kitchen. On the table, there wasn't waffles but a dead owl! Hermione screamed and fell back on Cleo who had stopped breathing.

"Awake now?" Mrs. Chestra brought some water next to the owl and smiled at Hermione.

"Don't worry Hun, Cleo has screamed ten times louder than that." Hermione looked extremely ill.

"Is it dead?" She said pointing to the brown and gray owl. Mrs. Chestra shook her head.

"No, Errol's alright, though he might be spending Christmas with us."

"This is Errol?" Cleo asked when she sat down to stroke him.

"Well that's what I would think. He came this morning with six mines pies and four packages." She said with a laugh and pointing at the gifts under the tree. "We also got this box from the post office." She said picking up a minuscule box. Cleo frowned.

"That must be Harry's present from the Dursleys." Mrs. Chestra huffed and set it back down. "Oh goodie." She muttered.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, pointing to a dirty box on the far side of Cleo's Mom. Mrs. Chestra's eyes glinted.

"Er…that came by a hawk." She said. Hermione took it from her and looked at it. On the very top of the box was a paw print and another of a hippogriff.

"Sirius." Cleo whispered. Hermione must have heard her and snapped her head over to Cleo.

"What?" Cleo acted.

"Could you put that under the tree Hermione?" Hermione picked it up but she still kept suspicious eyes on Cleo. Cleo felt like she swallowed a bowling ball. It choked in her throat and finally fell with a bang in her stomach. She wonted with all her might to tell Hermione what she knew. She knew that they had no idea, but still were wondering. She didn't wont to keep secrets from them. The boys came down the stairs.

"A hawk came Harry." She said swiftly and not looking at him. She could fell his eyes on her and heard the scouring feet into the living room to see what it had left.

"Errol!" Ron said running over to the table. "What happened to him?"

"Mince pies and gifts." Cleo smiled. Hearing Ron's voice made her feel comfort. He smiled back at her. Harry and Hermione came back to the table. Both of them were keeping a close eye on Cleo. Mrs. Chestra brought them their breakfast, which they ate in silence. Cleo looked up from her clear plate to her friends.

"You might wont to watch some television, I'll be right back, I'm just going to get dressed." Ron was looking forward to seeing a TV work so Hermione and Harry took him in the living room and showed him. Cleo stepped over to her mother.

"Is the hawk still here Mom?" She nodded casually.

"Yes, it flew up to your room when you both had came down." Cleo thanked her and took some waffles and some lemonade.

When she came to her room, she saw the hawk on her window seal. She tip toed over to it and stroked the top of its soft head.

"Take this back to Sirius, I'm sure he's very hungry." As she was putting the food into a box, The sounds of causuous feet met her ears. Cleo stopped, trying to pick up the sounds, indeed they were there, and stopped in the doorway. Her eyes shifted to the very side of her face. Within a blur saw Harry, Hermione and Ron in the doorway.

"What are you doing Cleo?" Hermione asked slow and cynical. It was clear that Hermione had no drought in her mind she had figured out what Cleo was hiding. Cleo didn't know what to say.

"What do you know about Sirius Cleo!" Harry asked with fire burning in his lovely green eyes. The tears were stinging her own. _Oh tell them! God just tell them! _The thoughts begged in despair.

"I can't tell you Harry." She croaked. He ran forward and grabbed her by the arms.

"Cleo you tell me _now _what you know about my God father!" Cleo wrenched his gripping fingers of her.

"Get off of me Harry!" she bellowed.

"Why wont you tell us! Were your friends Cleo!" Hermione screeched.

"That exactly why I can't tell you!" Cleo insisted.

"That makes no scene!"

"Lay of Hermione." Ron said sternly.

"Shut up Ron! I knew you would stick up for your girlfriend." Ron bit the inside of his lip while his stair grew cold and hollow. The words rung inside her ears and felt them burst. Cleo pushed aside Harry and looked on Hermione like a dog to a dirty field cat.

"Don't you _dare _say that, just because your jealous that Ron doesn't fancy you anymore!" Ron's eyes left Hermione's flaming face with a look of extreme astonishment.

"Wha-what? Ron never…did…" She looked to Ron for answers but Cleo was the one with answers and she didn't care if they all came out. She couldn't stand for it anymore.

"But of course you wouldn't know that Hermione, you were too busy drooling over Harry to even consider Ron's feelings!"

"Cleo!" Hermione said in a soft urgent whisper.

"Excuse me!" Harry exclaimed, coming into the argument at last. The anger still hadn't drained and seemed to be leaking as Cleo squirted out more.

"You think your so smart Hermione but you don't even know half the things I know! I know every mistake you've made, every question you've answered ever scene you've stepped foot inside Hogwarts! And Harry…" Cleo slowly turned to him and when she spoke she found what came out was nothing but a brittle hiss.

"And you Harry, I know every tear you've shed, every worry that crossed you mind!" Ron spoke for what was clearly running threw the others minds.

"Cleo, you've gone mad!" Cleo turned to Ron and felt the utmost pain in her hart.

"I wish I were Ron! Oh how I wish…" She felt the tears cloud her vision. "I wish you were all still fictional!" She said pointing to Harry and Hermione madly. "I wish J.K. Rolling never wrote those damn books!" Even if she tried she couldn't contain her tears any longer. She didn't even look at them when she rushed past Hermione and Ron and into her brother's room and locked herself inside.

"_celare!" _She told it and ran over to the bottom bunk. It wasn't long until she heard six feet scattering to the door and a sudden bang on it.

"_Alohomora!" _Hermione demanded, the door didn't open.

"I know that one too Hermione!" Cleo sobbed from her bed.

"How do you know? All of that, how?" Harry's voice shot threw the door.

"Cleo, we just need to talk to you, please open the door." Hermione said soothingly.

"_revelum."_ Cleo said and the door banged open, as well as the small thump Hermione made when she fell in, apparently pressing on the door.

"I can't believe this, I can't believe I just told you all that." Hermione looked guilty when she sat on the edge of the bed. Ron knelt down beside her.

"But Cleo, who do…" Cleo stopped him by shaking her head.

"I can't tell you Ron."

"But why not Cleo!" Harry insisted. Cleo bit the inside of her bottom lip.

"I just can't tell you Harry, McGonagall made me promise." Her voice was throbbing.

"Cleo you must! It's about us!" Hermione urged.

"Ask J.K. Rowling." Cleo grunted as she hugged her knees. Ron rubbed her foot.

"What dose she got to do with this?" Harry asked forcefully. Ron stopped and looked into Cleo eyes.

"Wait, didn't you say before you went in hear 'I wish J.K. Rowling never wrote those books'?" Cleo looked down at Ron with her mouth hanging slightly, she could fell her eyes were intense.

"Are you saying she wrote about us!" Hermione said like lava.

"But Hermione, don't you still have her?' Harry questioned.

"No! Remember I set her free! Of course! I thought I had taught her a lesson!"

"RITA SEEKER!" Cleo yelled suddenly as her head sprung into the air, hitting the bunk as a matter of fact.

"What?" They screamed up at her.

"Rita Seeker, in J.K.'s books she wrote about a character Rita Seeker that bugged you all last year Harry, and wrote articles in the daily Profit about you all." Hermione's face was crimson with frustration.

"She needs to get things strait! She was the one who did that!"

"I know!" Cleo shouted "Oh, don't you see? You found out that she was bugging you for the Daily Profit, what if she was bugging you for something else Harry?" The glow of understanding generated from Harry's face.

"To write the books!" He said, in an awed whisper. Cleo nodded.

"Harry she could have been bugging you your entire life!"

"But if she had been doing that, how come we've never even heard of the books?" Ron asked the obvious question.

"We were especially careful around you," She shrugged and smiled. "or at least I tried." Ron squeezed her hand.

"But _no ones _heard of them!" Hermione insisted. "They are apparently so famous in the Muggle world…" Harry Groaned at this and put his face in his hands.

"Yeah, 'cause I need to be famous in the Muggle too!" Hermione gave him a sympathetic look and went on.

"Be that as it may, they're so famous, it's impossible for them not to travel to the magical world!" Cleo shook her head.

"Yes, but you would be surprised how possible it can be. McGonagall and Dumbledore seemed to think the same thing. McGonagall told Lindsey and me that they had put a spell on the magic world so that the very mention of the books is non-existent, thus no one knowing."

"Then how can we understand this?" Harry asked. Cleo started having the feeling of an interview.

"J.K. put a rebound on the direct characters so she could be able to bug you all." Ron put his chin in his hands.

"Wicked."

"So you know everything about us." Harry said.

"Mostly you, seeing its in your view." Harry shook his head like saying "figures."

"I swear, I'll step on her next time!" Hermione said threw grinding teeth.

"No!" Cleo worried.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"She's really wonderful, and she didn't Wright anything bad about you, it was just as it happened."

"That's not bad?" Harry asked skeptically.

"This is how you got into fifth year isn't it?" Hermione knottiest. Cleo nodded.

Harry suddenly became frantic.

"Wait, what if the ministry finds out about the books and everything, what if J.K. tells them where Sirius is!" Cleo assured them that wasn't going to happen.

"Only we and Dumbledore and some of the staff know about them, and besides J.K. wouldn't be fool enough to mess with them. Not even in the books did she specify on where he was hiding." _Except the one in Hogsmade but like I said she won't be fool enough to mess with Dumbledore. _

"Hay, you wont to send some Christmas cheer to Sirius now?" Cleo begged. She was at peace with Harry, Hermione, and Ron at last so she wonted too chill out. Harry still seemed a little agitated. Cleo grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Harry! Listen to me…Sirius-is-safe. Dumbledore is making sure of that and I believe that Lupin is as well. Please Harry be happy, its Christmas for crying out freaking loud!" Harry broke free of Cleo's hold and glared.

"Cleo, if he's hurt…" Cleo simply screamed.

"You think I don't know how much he means to you! I swear, if anything happened to him I would crawl and die with you! Now right now he's all I'm thinking about! If you don't mind I would like to spread a little Christmas cheer to him." Harry sighed. Ron seemed to dumb-struck to speak. Hermione just spoke up.

"Theirs little cheese cakes down stairs." Cleo smiled at her.

"Come on." She said and walked down the stairs with Ron behind her, probably cause he didn't know what else to do. As Harry stepped out Cleo stopped him and held out her hand.

"We cool?" Harry looked down at it and back at Cleo. He was thinking a little longer than Cleo's liking.

"Why'd she write 'um Cleo?" Cleo shrugged.

"Money, fame, all desirable things Harry, and you are a desirable topic." Harry's face askew into a scowl.

"I don't wont to be famous! Famous for something I don't even remember, why'd it have to happen to me?" Cleo did have some ideas, but perhaps it wasn't the best time to point out that His father _could _have been an Auror. At last she smiled at him and hugged him.

"All things happen for a reason." She left it at that and they went down the stairs to make Sirius's Christmas package.

Mrs. Chestra hadn't even bothered to stop them, perhaps she really didn't wont to know what they were doing. Cleo trimmed the box, while Hermione arraigned the food attractively. They had assigned Ron and Harry to collect the food, which Cleo knew from experience, boys are skilled in. They…eventually packed it all up and adding a letter they had all signed sent the bird off.

"See." Cleo said, placing her hands on her hips and turning to them. "I wasn't up to no good." Hermione rolled her eyes.

List of "Night before Christmas stuff"

As developed by-

Harry Potter

Ron Weasley

Hermione Granger &

Cleo Chestra

Decorate the tree

Go to Midnight Mass

Have Cocoa

Watch Movie

And which they did, in that odder as a matter of fact!

Cleo, Hermione, Ron, and Harry enjoyed showing their magic off my levitating all of the ordainments up the tree. To continue their charade Ron even levitated Cleo up to the top of the tree, in order to put the Angle on. (A grate improvement on their last strategy, standing on a really big box.)

After they had finished and had taken a moment to admire, They were off to Midnight Mass. They had all dressed up and were walking into church when Cleo realized that this was by far the most up lifting thing about Christmas in her own opinion. The chorus had obviously practiced months before December. Tickling Cleo to death was when one of the singers sang "Marry did you know?" The decorating was exquisite, Cleo suspected that it took up some amount of the budget for the Church! But what Cleo adored most was not the Chorus or decorating (although essential) but the reading. She loved this story, and lucky for her she heard it every year! Hermione, Ron and Harry seemed rather impressed as well.

It was latter than Cleo had expected when they came home, but that didn't make any difference in their plain. Mr. Chestra was putting in "Christmas Carol" and rewinding threw the pre-views while Mrs. Chestra prepared the drinks. Harry snuggled down on the couch (Right by Hermione Cleo observed) and sighed.

"This is _so_ much better than Christmas at the Dursleys!" Cleo put on a puppy dog face.

"Bet it was." Harry shook his head.

"I remember this one year, I was six at the most. They had gone all out that year. Uncle Vernon bought all these new decorations and Aunt Petunia was bringing in so many presents for Dudley I couldn't walk into the living room! One day I was attempting to and I fell down on one of them. Dudley started screaming his head off and saying that I had broke it! On purpose! They locked me in the cupboard all day and threw Christmas morning, with a bowl of soup that had been sitting out for a week." Hermione shook her head.

"I wish Sirius would be cleared so you could live with them." Hermione whispered to him. Harry smiled at her and bent his head slightly. His hair started brushing up against hers. The movie started and Mrs. Chestra handed them their drinks.

"See not to spill that on my couch." She said warningly. The time spent was delightful. They were in full darkness except for the glittering lights of the tree. The night was over far to quickly for Cleo and her comrades.

"The quicker you go to bed the quicker you can open presents." Cleo's Mom said temptingly.

"We'll go to bed, just not fall asleep." Cleo whispered to Hermione. Hermione bobbed her head.

"You don't know the torture I go threw having to wait 'till the boys wake up every year!"

"I know what you mean." Cleo said thinking back to her brothers. "Don't worry, I've prepared this year." They all promenaded up the stairs and into their rooms. The boys weren't going to have any trouble sleeping; they were almost asleep as it was! Cleo however had more devious ideas in mind.

"I brought all the board games down from the attic and some toys." Cleo explained as they got dressed. Hermione agreed on a game and started playing, for about two minutes. They ended up just talking instead. Mostly they talked about O.W.A.L.S until there was a knocking on the door. They hadn't heard it at first, it was just a light rapping but after they had searched the room and figured out it was coming from the door they opened it.

Ron and Harry were standing outside their door with a long blanket draped around their shoulders and annoyed expressions on their face.

"Harry, Ron, Why aren't you asleep?" Cleo asked when she let them in.

"Do your brothers always snore like that?" Ron growled.

"Yes, either that or talk to each other in their sleep."

"Oh!" Harry said to Ron. "That's probably why Ben asked us to get him some water." Hermione laughed.

"What have you two been doing?" Ron asked, perceiving the board games.

"Trying to play games but just ended up talking." Ron seated himself down along with Harry.

"So what do you wont to do now?" Cleo shrugged.

"Just nothing too loud or else everyone will wake up." Cleo cautioned. Hermione tried to spark up some conversation then.

"You know that this is the first time I've ever been in America? It doesn't rain so mush hear."

"Yeah it's real nice." Ron agreed.

"Strange there hasn't been any magic people here in so long, wonder why." Harry said.

"Honestly Harry, can't you spend a day without trying to solve a mystery?" Ron groaned

"A mystery I've been trying to solve scene September!" Cleo pointed out.

"Your just cool Cleo!" Ron instead, wanting desperately for this conversation to end.

"Glad you think that Ron but there must be more to it than that!" Hermione shook her head.

"No…no, actually that is a theory. Cleo, you and Lindsey might just have a power about you that could overwhelm whatever stopped Americans from existing." _Ok, she doses have a point. _

"But then what was stopping from American Witches from existing?"

"Bet Dumbledore knows." Cleo mumbled irritably. "They all think I can't deal with the truth, all underestimating me!" Harry snorted.

"Know what you mean."

"Why wont they tell me!" Hermione smirked at her.

"They didn't wont you to tell us about the books too didn't they?"

"They thought it might be dangerous." Cleo explained optimistically.

"So maybe that's why they won't tell you and Lindsey." That was a good jab in the stomach but Cleo thought of another point.

"But they were wrong about you!"

"Well…" Harry shrugged. "That was more of a precaution, were always getting ourselves into things." Cleo pouted.

"That sucks." Hermione waved her finger at Cleo.

"Don't pout Cleo, you could get coal in your stocking." Cleo glared at Hermione's finger. _Don't wave that at me! _

"Coal has its uses." Cleo said, think distinctly about throwing it.

"Wont to play a game?" Harry compromised. That was a very annoying thing about Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They had impeccable timing. They played "Sorry" about seven times, Ron had fallen asleep and they were incredibly bored.

"What time is it?" Cleo asked as she pushed her peace five spaces with her index finger.

"7:15." Hermione said threw a yawn. Cleo's eyes darted to the clock, then her radio and back at Hermione.

"Wake up time." Before either Harry or Hermione could say anything she turned on some Christmas music and cranked it up to volume 10. Hermione had her hands over her ears and was smiling. Ron woke with a start and had to have leapt five feet of the ground.

"What the…?" Ron asked, looking at the radio like it had to be destroyed.

"Wake up!" The three of them yelled over the music. Just then Drew and Ben slammed open the door.

"And Marry Christmas to you too!" Ben said far from his usual cheery manner. Andrew took the liberty to turn it down and gave them a death glare. Now Andrew could be a very scary thing when he wonted to, right about then you felt as if you could wet your paints.

"Get your parents and go down stairs." All four of them didn't hesitate to obey his demands.

"I'll just go make some coffee then." Ron said. Cleo's parents were too awaken by the music so they all decided to have an early Christmas. The glow was visible from the third step, the tree, gifts just glittered! All the children, and adults simply dove into their gifts. Cleo had gotten a Weasley sweater, orange with a green "L" in it. A magical sowing kit from Hermione, a music box from Ron, (_AWWWW!)_ The coolest mood ring from Harry, (that actually worked!) It instantly turned pink, for pleased. Her parents had made a locket for her. On one side, it had a picture of her brothers and the other side had a picture of them. Ben had gotten her a baseball hat with a wand and broomstick crossed together, as Andrew got her several CD's which Cleo turned on as soon as she has gotten the chance.

Everyone loved the gifts she had gathered for them, especially Ron with his Quidditch robe. Cleo was interested to see Harry's gifts partially Sirius. He opened it in front of anyone to reveal…_LOADS_ of things!

"Theirs gifts for each of us!" Harry said excitedly. Harry pulled out an exotic sort of potion.

"This ones mine, says its plant grow. 'Grow plant on _anything!" _Harry said with his eyes glittering madly.

"Wicked!" Ron said, pulling out his own. It was Crudely Cannons hand pads.

"At this rate you'll have the inter uniform soon!" Hermione laughed. She dug threw the box and had a black box with a white square in the middle of it.

"What is it?" Hermione asked. Amazingly shinny green words appeared saying _"I am an Andswarian. I can answer any question at any time." _Hermione squealed.

"That is great!" She clapped.

"Get yours Cleo!" Ron urged. Cleo gladly did so and retrieved a tiny little box. She opened it and saw two plain, gold red earrings. Her mother cooed.

"Oh! Those are lovely!" Cleo starred at them. They were _lovely _and some what over whelming. She had no idea how, but like they were very special.

"Cleo." Hermione grinned. "Do you like them?" Cleo took her eyes away from the little gold earrings, her eyes feeling a little odd.

"I adore them!" Cleo decided that any gift from Sirius was special. She put them on, along with the rest of her jewelry.

The rest of the day was lazy, except for when they were told to put all their gifts away. As they balanced their stuff in their arms and wobbled up the stairs Harry craned his neck to talk to them.

"There was something else in the box." Harry said.

"What?" Ron asked with intrigue flowing in the simple word.

"It's a letter." Harry said threw a grunt when putting down his things in the boy's room. Cleo and Hermione quickly put their belongings in their own room and went to see Harry's letter.

"Read it Harry." Ron pushed. Harry unfolded it and read allowed.

"_Dear Harry, Hermione, Ron and Cleo,_

(Cleo swelled at the sound of her name.) _Marry Christmas fist of all. I hope that all of your gifts will be of some use to you in the near future. Greetings to Cleo, who I especially hope, will find her gift useful._ (Harry looked over the rim of the paper at Cleo. His green eyes squinted, showing that he was smiling at her, he went back to reading.) _Now, I have traveled back to Hogsmade so that I could see/meet you all. Hopefully next month, next Hogsmade trip. Buckbeak says hi. _Then theirs a paw print."

"You should write back to him and tell him we can." Hermione advised. Harry took some paper and a quill out from his suite case.

"What should we write?" Harry asked, wanting to include them.

"Well, you could start off with 'Dear Sirius and Buckbeak'." Ron joked.

"Then that we loved that gifts and thank you for thinking of us." Hermione added. Harry scribbled it down.

"And that were looking forward to seeing him." Cleo said truthfully, she was shaking with excitement! Harry put it down and wrote "Hope your ok." And they all signed it. Harry sent Headwig off with the letter and they continued their day.

The days slipped by, each day much like the last except for the little highlights. Like on Wednesday. Ron was sitting around on the couch, with a dull expression on his face. Quite suddenly his eyes perked up and looked with interest in the corner.

"Cleo!" He yelled up the stair.

"Uh?" Cleo grunted back down at him.

"Come hear!" Cleo, Hermione, and Harry stampeded down the stairs to Ron.

"Uh?" Cleo repeated.

"What's that?" Ron wondered, and he pointed to the DVD of Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone. Cleo smirked at him.

"That would be the film about your first year."

"Let's watch it!" Ron said happily. Hermione and Harry sat down beside him. Hermione didn't look all that excited about it. But she had said that she was interested in seeing all the things J.K. had screwed up in it, so she stayed put. Cleo put it in and the movie started.

"Who is that?" Ron asked, pointing to Dumbledore while he walked down the dark street of Pivot Drive.

"Dumbledore of course!" Cleo responded.

"That is not Dumbledore." Harry said bluntly.

"Harry, shut up." Cleo snapped.

"What does this have to do with the first year?" Harry continued on his rampage.

"Will you watch the movie?" Cleo said in frustration. They remained silent up so when McGonagall started talking.

"This is the night when I defeated Voldimort, this is how it happened!" Harry awed. Cleo tilted her head.

"In a matter of speaking. In the book, they go into more detail, but the movie is on a time limit so they can only keep so many things in." They watched intently after that, until…

"That? That is me?" Harry said pointing to Daniel Radcliff. Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Ohh! He's cute!" Cleo laughed while the boys stared at her.

"Hermione!"

"You should see him without the glasses!" Cleo winked at her.

"Cleo!" Ron gasped. Cleo kissed him and watched the TV some more. Then, as Cleo had suspected when Rupert appeared there was another fit.

"Ha! Look at Fred and Gorge! WOW! Is that me?" Ron bellowed.

"Yep, and that Ginny, and that's your Mum."

"Bull!" Ron screamed.

"Yeah, Ron's right." Hermione agreed. "That boy has actual meat on him!" Ron twitched his fingers, as if restraining himself from strangling her.

"And he's too cute, and to short, and doesn't have enough freckles, and his hair isn't curtly enough." Hermione determined. Ron was so close to killing Hermione, Cleo had grab his head and turn it back the TV. That was about when Emma appeared on the screen. Hermione screamed.

"Get her off the screen, get her off NOW!"

"Yeah, Your Right Hermione, she's too pretty." Harry stared at Emma.

"She can't bloody act!" Harry settled. Cleo nodded.

"No, she isn't very good is she? Hopefully she'll get better."

"Theirs going to be more movies?" Hermione jeered.

"Well…DU! Theirs four books as is! I suppose they'll make movies for all the books."

"Well they better get a new cast soon! They look nothing like us!" Ron huffed. Hermione agreed.

"Yeah, and they act nothing like us!" She growled right after Emma had said _"And you are…pleasure."_ Ron looked over at Harry.

"Well…actually…er…that isn't a bad impression." Hermione glared and looked back at the movie…for a while.

"Why dose Seamus keep blowing up?" Ron said, adding to his lists of complaints. Cleo as you know didn't care for that either.

"They needed to screw up the movie some how. I don't like it either, so you're not alone."

"They could have put much better, and more influential scene in the movie than that!" said Hermione.

"Tell me about it." At long last, the three of them seemed to keep the gripping to themselves, thank the lord. Cleo could see where they might be irritated, but honestly, did they have to say it _during _the movie? Ron started clapping when the chess scene came.

"Ah yes! Now this is entertainment!" Ron watched in wonder.

"_No you can't! There must be another way!"_ Emma screamed. Ron put on a dramatic air.

"No Ron! Don't do it! We love you too much!" Cleo shook her head.

"And then you get waked up side the head." Just like clockwork that indeed happened. Then Hermione's dramatic part came.

"Oh no." Hermione said, and put her hand on her head.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"I hoped they would skip this part."

"_Your grate wizard Harry, you really are…"_ Emma rambled (unconvincingly). Ron started laughing while Hermione hid behind her hair.

"Did you really say that!" Hermione was completely silent when Harry answered for her.

"Well actually…" Hermione pounced on him and grabbed the neck of his shirt.

"Harry if you say one more word I'll rip the voice box out of your throat, turn it into a ant and step on it!" Hermione simply screeched. Harry's eyes shifted over to Ron.

"Never mind."

"Yeah." At _very _long last the movie had come to its conclusion and Cleo was left with their complaints.

"Hated Emma." Hermione begin.

"Things were very shifty."

"Just plain…"

"Brilliant!" Ron ended in awe. Hermione and Harry raised eyebrows at each other and left to go upstairs. The most surprising and thrilling thing of all that happened that week was they day before they went home.

Ron and Cleo were sitting down watching a stupid show when Her mother suggested that they go and get their things together. Since they weren't missing anything on TV, they went up without argument. Ron was just stepping into his room when they both found Harry and Hermione red handed kissing!

"Harry!" Ron yelled the same time Cleo had screamed "Hermione!" Hermione's eyes flashed up at them and pushed Harry away.

"I would have never guessed…WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?" Ron insisted. Cleo nodded forcefully. Hermione perched her lips and looked at Harry.

"Were sorry, we just thought you would make a big deal about it!"

"Big deal? WHO'S MAKING A BIG DEAL!" Cleo said franticly, a little hurt Hermione hadn't told her.

"Well, we mean get mad or something." Harry explained. Cleo put her hand on her chest.

"Why?" They didn't answer. "I think it's perfectly _wonderful!_" Hermione's eyes grew almost as wide as Cleo's.

"Honestly?"

"Perfectly honest!" Hermione and Cleo grabbed one another, giggling and hugging. Ron and Harry stood together sneering.

"And to keep them from doing that in my presents." Harry muttered. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable visit, but Cleo wasn't too regretful to go back to Hogwarts.

Her parents hugged and kissed her goodbye (The boys had left earlier that week) and left them to make their trip back. (Cleo whispered to her Mom before they left that Ron and her were seeing each other and to tell her Dad when they were out of the country.) Her Mom laughed and told her to get going. Then at long last they were back at Hogwarts.


	11. Chapter 11

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 11 **

**Questions and no answers**

Cleo, Ron, Harry and Hermione all skipped off the train, relieved to be standing on their own two legs again.

"Honestly! I thought I might not be able to use my legs again if I sat down any longer!" Hermione whinnied as she rubbed her hands with her legs.

"Hay! Why don't we go walk around the school a little while before its time for bed?" Harry suggested. Cleo felt an unexpected and frankly random hand on her shoulder.

"Not just now, if you don't mind Miss. Chestra." Cleo turned around and saw the cool expression on Dumbledore's kind face. Cleo shook her head.

"No! Not at all Professor. Would you mind a all 'yall?" Cleo made shear. Harry denied it and allowed her to be swept away while he led the others from them.

Dumbledore was silent all the way up to his office. When he arrived he sat down in his seat and rested his chin on his hand. He pondered Cleo a moment before speaking.

"You seem quite relaxed Cleo, did you have a nice break."

"Yes." Cleo said calmly and sweetly, as she often did when she talked to adults. He looked at her over the rim of his glasses.

"Did you see the figure again during the break?" Cleo nodded.

"Yes."

"How many times?"

"Ones in car smoke, another in the Christmas tree, ones in my hair, and also in a stream near my house." Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.

"Could you describe him for me?" Cleo agreed.

"I haven't seen his complete body but I have seen his face. He had a cloak on that covers most of his face except for his lips that are often smiling evilly at me." She said, containing her sneer.

"Has he come to you in any other way?" Dumbledore asked more pressingly.

"Yes, in my dreams often and he also attacked me in Hogsmade." Dumbledore stopped his packing that he had stared.

"He showed himself in person?"

"Yes."

"But that was the only time?"

"Yes." Dumbledore sat down again sighed.

"He isn't weak enough anymore." He murmured.

"Pardon?" Dumbledore looked at her more seriously than ever.

"Cleo, I see no reason to keep the fact from you that you are in grate danger." _Really, couldn't tell! _

"Now I must insist on you coming and telling me every thing suspicious." Cleo was perfectly alright with that. Dumbledore stopped a moment and looked down at her.

"I think, I might bring some extra security as well."

"What sort of Security Professor?"

"Nothing at all disturbing." Dumbledore assured her. "Now I believe that will be enough, I expect to see you soon."

"Yes sir." Cleo smiled and began to walk out.

"Er…" Dumbledore called her back. "You told Hermione, Harry and Ron about the books didn't you?" Cleo sat back down.

"I'm afraid so, I didn't mean too, it just spilled out, they thought of it all!" Dumbledore laughed.

"Don't worry Miss! They are ones for mystery's, I expected so much. Still it doesn't seem to have disturbed them at all just as long as their able to keep it under raps for me." Cleo nodded.

"Yes I think they will, thank you Professor." He plucked a hair from his head and put it in a silvery bin while she stepped out. When she came down stairs, her friends were at the bottom of them waiting for her.

"What did he say?" Ron asked.

"Said I was in mortal danger and that he needs to bring extra security." Cleo attempted to say calmly.

"Mortal danger!" Ron said with an outcry.

"Ron calm down, I'm sure we can find some information in the library to keep extra precaution." Hermione said expectedly.

"Hermione, We couldn't even find out why there isn't an American school." Cleo said Matter-of-factly.

"Then what are they supposed to do!" Ron said.

"Dumbledore had said he was bringing in extra precaution." Cleo comforted him.

"What sort of precaution?" Harry wondered allowed. Cleo frowned.

"He wouldn't tell me. But he did say it was harmless to my daily life." She only wished she believed him.

"I don't understand why we must be here." 16 year old Susanna said to her 12 year old sister Emily as they walked into a colonel cabin in America.

"I wont answers." Emily said laying down her suit cases at the door and surveyed the house. Susanna sighed.

"This search isn't good for you, you know."

"Stop being mother." Emily warned. Even though Emily was very young she was extremely dominate and serous, she could easily be mistaken for 16 like her sister.

"What do you think she meant by 'Wizard?' " Emily asked Susanna.

"Is that what she said?" Susanna asked absentmindedly, looking threw the house and going into her bedroom.

"Yes, it was what she said, I wont to know what she meant."

"Perhaps, Wizard meant…magical, as in she loved him very much." Susanna stepped out of her room and to Emily, who was now sitting on a bed.

"Out of curiosity, why did you wont so desperately to come to this house?" Emily looked up at her with shinning eyes.

"He was here." Susanna's eyes furrowed.

"He?"

"Father, he lived here, he slept on this bed, and this…" Emily bent over and picked up a slender peace of wood from the floor. "Was his wand."

They all seemed to be laying awake that night pondering what the precaution might be. Hermione even looked up everything she could about such provisions for attacking dreams but for some crazy reason, she found nothing.

For the next few weeks, it was that way, every morning waking up with creeks in their backs and dark shadows under their eyes.

"Why must we have class?" Ron moaned that morning.

"To stimulate and explained our minds Ron!" Hermione screeched and waved her arms about.

"I'd rather sleep!" Ron growled at her. Hermione's lips thinned dangerously. Cleo looked over at Harry who was biting the inside of his lip.

"Perhaps we should go in." Cleo whispered to him. He laughed and agreed. She was just stepping in when she saw something she didn't expect in the least.

"IT'S LUPIN!" She yelled randomly.

"What?" The three of them demanded.

"IT'S LUPIN HE'S BACK! And gosh…" Cleo said looking in again. "He looks good!" Harry pushed her aside and smashed threw the door, Cleo, Hermione and Ron following behind him.  
"Moony!" Harry yelled "Moony! What are you doing back hear?" Harry, Cleo, Hermione and Ron gathered around his desk and saw Lupin smile. He looked loads heather and no longer had grays in his hair.

"Harry keep it down." Lupin said making a quiet signal with his hands.

"But why are you hear?" Ron asked impatiently. Lupin smiled again.

"Nice to see you too Ron. They found a cure for Ware Wolfs, so Dumbledore suggested I come back!"

"Oh yeah, my Dad told me about that." Ron said nodding to them.

"I'm so glad Professor!" Hermione squealed.

"So am I Hermione." He said in a relieved voice. His eyes worked there way over to Cleo, who could felt herself blushing.

"Who's this Harry? Your Girlfriend?" They laughed.

"Heck no! This is Cleo. She's been upgraded to fifth year and were very good friends with her now. Cleo…" Harry said taking her hand in putting it in Lupin's.

"This is Professor Moony." Lupin shook his head.

"Keep it down will you Harry? That would be Professor Lupin Miss. Chestra." Cleo smiled and nodded.

"All the same to me Professor. Very pleased to meet you in person." They laughed.

"What exactly will you be doing hear Professor? All the positions are full." Hermione inquired. Lupin's eyes shinned and he smiled.

"Just be helping out with things." He said simply. Cleo caught the look in his eyes.

"You're my precaution." She said darkly. His inter body just stopped dead and starred at her. Soon his body loosened and he sighed.

"I didn't think I would be able to get it past you guys."

"I knew it!" She promised pointing and saying it loudly. "I knew you were going to do something about all this! I suppose you and Dumbledore know why there isn't a American school either." Her friends starred at her for being so worked up while Lupin made a calming sound.

"Cleo, don't get hysterical."

"Why wont any of you tell me!" Her cheeks flared and her eyes glowed with danger. "This is my life you all think I can't handle!" Lupin was still making a motion with his hands, up and down to silence her but she pretty much screwed it.

"I know I have problems! But you are the people making them bigger. I know your trying to protect me; I know its not working. He can tell I'm braking down, and that I'm getting more venerable cause of it!" She sneered and her burning eyes glossed over. Immediately the face appeared before her as her breath grew louder and more tattered.

"I can tell by the way he smiles, its always getting bigger." She turned back to Lupin, who looked fearful. Suddenly and most haphazardly she exploded into tears and dropped her head on his desk. Everything was silent for a long time except for the echoing of Cleo's tears. Ron was the first to try to comfort her.

"Cleo please don't cry! Were hear to help, and so is Lupin." Lupin was next to step up to bat. Ron had just struck out because Cleo was crying harder now.

"Cleo I certainly didn't mean to make you cry…" Cleo's head snapped up.

"Why is he after me!" She said threw her clenched teeth.

"We…have many ideas." He said with shifty eyes. Cleo shook her head, harder and harder until smacked her hand on the table.

"I'm sorry Moony, it just that dam…"

"Hay! Watch your language." Lupin said sternly.

"Sorry, but, it just doesn't make sense! Nothing adds up!" he smiled a relieving smile.

"I would imagine it is." Lupin said kindly, probably just glad to have her stop crying. "I promise you were doing everything we can, Just try to relax." Cleo smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, I'm glad your back." She said meekly.

"Glad I can help." He said with his kind boyish grin. "Now, I suggests you take your seats." Hermione put her arm around Cleo and squeezed her.

"Its ok." She whispered. Ron laughed.

"Man talk about your bad first impressions." Cleo laughed along with him. Just then, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

These people truly loved her, guess if a scary floating figure of death was flouting you around you might as well have friends to cry about it with, literally.

After that, they took it pretty easy. Lupin was sure to give her the latest up dates. (Well, he told her he would if he had any after the seventh time she had confronted him about it.) And they made sure to visit Hagrid every weekend.

That was probably where Cleo was most happy. Except for the dead birds hanging from the ceiling, she found it the most charming warming place all in Hogwarts. Hagrid would always make Harry, Ron and Hermione teas while he gave Cleo hot cocoa. (She wasn't that British!) And told them all about his travels with Madam Maxtime to convince the giants of joining against Voldimort. (Though they think some of it might have been exaggerated, particularly the part where he had tamed a dragon, and trained it into flying himself and Madam Maxtime to America in a hour.)

"America?" interrogated Cleo. Hagrid was off in his own world and continued.

"Eh! Yea, need ter go ter America." Cleo looked over, wide eyed at Harry.

"America?" She hissed. He was bobbing his head like those tacky baseball dolls wildly.

"Theirs Giants in America?"

"Yea, mostly in Colorado." Hagrid went on. "But theirs very few of them. America isn't the greatest place in their opinion."

"Why is that?" Said a desirous Hermione.

" 'Fraid I guess. Their a nasty sort but not stupid!" Hagrid became instantaneously offended.

"Why?" They all groaned.

"Why all the whys?" Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at Cleo. _Oh, fine, give me the hard work. _

"Well, I've been to Colorado," She lied "It just seems like such a nice place, I have trouble understanding why anyone wouldn't wont to be there!" Ron let out a loud sigh of relief that soon turned into a short yawn.

"Yeah, it was nice. But America isn't the same way for most magic things kinda creepy." He mumbled.

"Creepy?" Cleo said, thinking at last she was getting to something, trust Hagrid!

"No offence to your home land Cleo, just magic hasn't…" He stopped and took their cups.

"See you lot latter."

"Hagrid!" Cleo said, stomping her foot.

"Get on with you now!" He badgered and shoved them out the door.

"That wasn't very nice!" Cleo screamed into his cottage.

"He came so close to blabbing too!" Ron said resentfully.

"Ron! Do you really think Hagrid's always the one to go to when you need some information?" Hermione said with a huff and hands on her nonexistent hips.

"What? Think I'm supposed to get them from books?" Cleo laughed and gave him a high five.

"Score!" Hermione sneered.

"What do you suppose he was going to say after that?" Harry requested their opinions. Cleo contorted her face while she thought.

"He said, er… 'No offence to your home land Cleo, just magic hasn't…"

"Existed there?" Hermione finished for her.

"Yeah, that's creepy." Ron pointed out, walking up the steps to school.

"There must of, or Giants wouldn't be there." Harry told them.

"Quite true." Cleo agreed. "Magic hasn't…been there, no…"

"In a while?" Ron blurted.

"It have to be a long while." Said Cleo.

"Well, I have read that Magic had withstand long periods of time with out disruption." Hermione quoted.

"Even for centuries?" Harry implored.

"Well apparently, were here aren't we?"

"Quite, quite true!" Cleo laughed.

"Cleo? Do you think you have any Giant in you?" Ron wondered, hopping he had caught on to something.

"She's to short to have even a pinch of giant in her!" Harry joked.

"Hay! Ben's 6'3!" Cleo said, pointing at Harry.

"Well, even so, as much magic as is in you, and don't think centuries of relations to a giant would make you a witch." Hermione whispered something to herself.

"What was that?" Cleo pressed.

"If one has a certain purpose it is more than possible." She looked up at Cleo meaningfully. Cleo couldn't believe what she just said, did she really have some sort of important purpose? Ron was starring at her as well.

"Maybe we should look up your family chain Cleo."

"Oh K, I know a web sight that…" She began but Hermione stopped her.

"No technology in Hogwarts remember?" She said. "It clearly states it in 'Hogwarts a History'."

"We know Hermione." Harry assured her. "Is there any way we could find out?"

"Yes…" She hesitated.

"How?" Cleo demanded. Hermione made a face like she was thinking and made a swishing motion with her hand.

"Come to the dormitory." As they made their way to the dormitory Hermione listed of the supplies, she would require.

"I'll need a glass plate, some tissues, a knife…"

"A Knife!" Cleo gasped, stepping several steps away from her.

"Cleo, I just need some of your blood, it shows me all the different people that have contributed to make it up." Cleo had a quick shudder and agreed.

They all gathered the supplies and sat around the table in the common room to see the results. Hermione set down the little glass plate and put some napkins under it.

"Cleo, give me your wrist." She said gently. When Cleo had reached out her hand to Hermione, Harry handed Hermione his pocket knife that he had gotten for Christmas last year. Ron took Cleo's other hand and stroked it.

"Just don't look at it." Hermione advised. Cleo scrunched her eyes shut and tilted her head back to the ceiling. She felt the knife cut into her wrist and a small twinge of pain. Hermione let Cleo bleed for only a little while and then told her to grip the joint in her arm until it stopped bleeding.

She cleaned Cleo's cut and focussed back to the blood in the dish.

"Now what?" Cleo asked.

"I say the spell." Hermione thrusted her wand at the blood.

"_Relatio!" _She said clearly. The blood stayed normal for a moment but suddenly started swirling into different color sections. It stopped after a few minutest and Hermione examined silently.

"Why are there all these colors Hermione?" Harry questioned.

"Each color is a different nationality. Cleo, your English!" Hermione said, shattering the serous manner. Cleo smiled weekly.

"Am I?" She said. "Do I have any Giant then?" She said anxiously. Hermione looked back down at it for a long while. Cleo and the boys started playing "I spy" after a while.

Ron would nag Hermione every time he lost to get on with it. It was an hour before Hermione confirmed that she didn't have an ounce of Giant blood in her body. Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Why do I even try?"

"Yeah Cleo, Just screw it," Harry said sarcastically. "Lets just let the guy kill you 'cause theirs no way to figure out anything." He threw his hands up into the air. "I mean, you never thought there would be a chance to come hear, but it has! You can't give up so easily!" Cleo saw his point. She had been doing quite a bit of whining, something she hatted. She sucked it up and the researched in the library the rest of the day.


	12. Chapter 12

**Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 12**

**Padfoot barks it up**

Cleo was more determined than ever to answer her questions. She was researching in brakes, in the morning, at night after home work, and on weekends. She did find, several times, the word America, but it was almost always lead up with "America doesn't have…" this or that. She was also visiting Hagrid a lot more, but he didn't seem to enjoy the subject of Giants anymore.

Hermione was helping her in her investigation that Saturday. Cleo frowned and put her hand in her hair.

"Honestly! These aren't helpful at all! I wish there was something that could answer any of my questions at anytime!" Hermione nodded, but stopped suddenly.

"Any questions…at any time…" She murmured.

"What is it?"

"The _Andswarian! _It can answer _anything _at _anytime!_" Cleo gasped.

"Your right! Oh my gosh! I'm surprised we didn't think of that before!"

"Come on! Lets get the boys!" Without bothering with the books, Cleo and Hermione gathered the boys from the grate hall. (They were eating, or course; what else would boys do?)

Together they ran up to Grifonder tower and checked to see what the _Andswarian _would say."

"What fools we were! I can't wait to see what it says!" Ron said, with his arm around Cleo and squeezing her into him. Hermione came down from the girls dorm, where she kept the _Andswarian_ and placed it before them.

"_Andswarian_, we have a question." She announced. The fog swirled into letters that said

"_Yes Hermione, go ahead." _They exchanged excited glances and looked back down at the _Andswarian. _

"We wont to know why there has only been 2 witches to date."

"_Reason unknown."_ It answered back.

"What?" They all yelled.

"Well then, why is Charon stalking Cleo?" Hermione took another stab at it.

"_Reason unknown." _

"You are so not helpful!" Cleo yelled.

Cleo found herself at the Library ones again, looking for the hopeless. One day she was at the library, behind a tall wobbly wall of text books when she heard an unwelcome voice intrude her ears.

"I hope your not trying to upgrade yourself to a sixth year Cleo, You were not very book smart." Cleo took some of the books off until she could see over them. When her eyes met Lindsey she started, stacking books back up.

"Its interesting Lindsey, how you can encore someone there inter friendship with you and still know all their faults."

"As if their not obvious." She said coolly. As you know quite well, Cleo isn't pulled together, she holds her emotions right on her sleeves, so of course she blew up.

"What are you doing in a library anyway, looking for more material on how to be a &?"

"It is none of your dam business why I'm hear, I thought you didn't wont to talk to me anymore any way!"

"You're the one doing the talking!"

"Takes two to make a conversation."

"Bull, I talk to myself all the time!" Cleo skidded to a stop on her rampage. _I did not just say that. _Lindsey started laughing a loud laugh to make everyone turn. _Crap, I did say that. _Then, rummaged in her embarrassed thoughts she realized something.

"Wait, are you hear to research about America Witches?"

"Well you're a little random aren't you?" She jeered. Cleo, for the first time, ignored her.

"Where have you been? I've been looking all year!"

"Look I have better things to do than cough of the dust from those nasty books."

"Dam you are such a prep!" Lindsey gasped. The both of them were very against Prep like actions during their friendship, so this was a satisfying and effective insult.  
"I am not! I'm a Slithering!"

"And I'm a Gryffindor." Cleo snapped back. "Now, will you please just get over your appearance? I have all the books we need hear if you would like to look." Lindsey looked a little blown back at the offer. Swiftly she turned around and sauntered out. Cleo sighed and went back to her books.

"That was very well handled Cleo." Hermione congratulated her at Lunch.

"Yeah, except for the part when you made a grate prat of yourself." Ron laughed threw his chewing.

"I love you too Ron." Cleo said sweetly.

The next few months went similarly. Cleo would be researching (Ones and a while seeing Lindsey stepping in and turning back around.) and getting as much as she could from Lupin and Hagrid, nothing.

Cleo checked out a big old book that she thought might have something useful in it and was reading it at the breakfast table. Just when she was skipping over a part about Mexico Mail flew in. Stephanie came in and landed on her plate of bacon.

"You little pig!" She said to her increasingly fat bird. Cleo petted the top of her soft head. Another bird joined the table and landed next to Harry.

"Hay Headwig, what you got there?" He pulled the crumpled, dirty letter from her leg and she flew off to eat bacon with Stephanie.

"Its Snuffles." Harry whispered to them dramatically and scooted closer to each other. (Ron putting his arm around Cleo to squeeze her closer to him.)

_Dear Harry, and your pals, _

_A Hogsmade trip is approaching, meet me behind the owalry and I'll take you up to my hide out. Looking forward to seeing you, bye._

_(Drippy paw print)_

"They haven't said anything about a Hogsmade trip yet." Ron said curiously. Neville then suddenly bustled in with rosier cheeks that usually.

"Hogsmade trip coming up! This weekend!" And left them to look at each other questionably. Harry started laughing.

"Trust Sirius!" Cleo was simply ecstatic about meeting Sirius, er…at a more matcher point in his life.

She fixed her hair in a loose braid, so that her curly bangs could fall over her pink face. She ones again put on her s8er boy pants, so that she wouldn't feel to uptight. Then as the finishing touch, she wore her rose-red earrings.

"Hurry up Cleo! We'll miss the train!" Harry whined outside her door.

"Keep your pants on Harry! For all our sakes!" She heard Ron laugh and Harry smack him. With a quick swish at her hair (Unconsciously) She bounced out the door and went with her beloved friends to see Sirius.

They got on the train, with Harry raving about his God father.

"I hope you'll be able to live with him soon." Hermione said with a squeeze at his hand.

"He has to!" Cleo insisted. Harry raised an eyebrow curiously.

"What makes you say that?" Cleo searched for the proper words.

"It would just suck! He has to be cleared he's too important! And too cool." Cleo said as an after thought. Harry laughed and told her all he knew about Sirius on the train. (Even though, she knew most of it.)

After what had seemed like eternity, Cleo finally got off that retched train and sprinted over to the owalry, Harry at her neck. They slowed down to look less suspicious and really walked quickly around the building.

There sniffing the ground was the biggest furriest dog Cleo had ever set eyes on! She was even rather tempted to go and pet it, but she restrained herself knowing what that dog actually was.

"Snuffles?" Hermione said sweetly approaching. The head of the dog snapped up dangerously, but seeing who his visitors were he wagged his tail.

"Lets go then!" Ron said, but Sirius didn't move. He crept over to Cleo with his head bent and smelled her pocket. His long shaggy tail thumped loudly and licked her hand. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked bewildered at her.

"What are you doing Sirius!" Harry said, fumbling with the words. Sirius barked. Cleo laughed and reached into her pocket.

"Food!" She said certainly. Harry looked embarrassed.

"Oh, I thought he was, er…" Sirius barked and growled at him.

"Well you know it looked like it!" Harry fussed. Sirius snorted and turned around to the forest behind the owalry.

The snow had just recently melted, so it left the forest with a clean dewy smell and soft leaves you sunk into. Cleo didn't mind though. The only thing she didn't like about the brilliant Hogwarts was how cold and unnatural it was. She almost longed to go into the forbidden forest and Zen, encoring the fact she could be eaten alive. _Oh well, at least I'd die comfortably. _As she pondered on these thoughts, things were blurring around her, she knottiest that she stopped.

Cleo snapped back into reality and saw that they were going into a tree. Harry, Ron and Hermione had already gone into the cramped space so Cleo followed.

Inside it was just a normal moldy tree, smelly. They stood there trying not to hit the sides and looked down at Sirius like "You can't be serous." As Cleo took the breath to say this aloud, Sirius started sniffing on the north wall. He stopped a little ways before the end and scratched it. The tree trunk magically decayed into marble stairs. Sirius looked up at them. Now, if dogs could smile this would most defiantly be what it looked like.

Sirius led them up the stairs (Wall decaying back ones they were in) and into a very nice sitting room. It had a white marble floor (With scattered dog prints everywhere) A blue dog bed in on the side of the circular room, and on the far side, Blackbeak sat with bones scattered around him. The four of them bowed, and the hippogriff did the same in return. Cleo went with Hermione to pet the top of Blackbeak's head while the boys sat on some cushions on the far left side.

"So glad to see you again." Said a horse voice behind her. Cleo turned to respond, her hart fell to the floor. She stepped back from Blackbeak (Who looked crossly at her for stopping the petting) and tried with all her might to keep from tearing up. Sirius, beside his grin looked so sad. His hair was tangled and unwashed, face dirty and scratched up. His lack of food was far too obvious and quite sickening to be blunt. It almost seemed as if all the meat that resigned on his body just barley evened out with his thin muscles. Cleo would have flung to him and hugged him had it not been her shaking fear that he might brake! Her acting skills failed her, as he knottiest her worry.

"Cleo what's the matter?" He said so softly and fatherly that Cleo was sure she was going to sob.

"You…I just wish they would clear you." Her lip trembled as she took a deep breath to calm herself. _Don't cry, just calm down. _She repeated herself. Sirius's were soft and gentle when he stepped closer to her. He was silent when the pink teenage girl looked up at him. Cleo reached into her pocket, pulled out the crushed sandwich, bacon and turkey stick, and handed them to him.

"Thanks." He smiled, and Cleo smiled back.

"Well on that happy note what's going on Sirius?" Ron spoke up. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"To much." Sirius frowned.

"Hu?" Sirius took a bite of the sandwich.

"And it's all happing around you and Lindsey." He said pointing to Cleo.

"Me? And Lindsey?" Cleo said stupidly.

"What dose Lindsey have to do with everything that's happing?" Harry implored.

"Well she's American too!"

"What are you talking about?" Hermione said, shocking Cleo.

"That guy that's attacking you, Charon he's doing it 'cause you're American!" Sirius barked, quite k-9 like.

"No way!" Ron exploded, just so startled. Sirius glared at him.

"What makes you say that? Just think about it! Charon's only attacking you and Lindsey…"

"Lindsey's being attacked too?"

"Not as severally as you have I don't think but still."

"Continue Sirius!" Hermione said earnestly.

"Yeah, so Charon's only attacking you and Lindsey because your American _that _is why theirs no school."

"But why dose he care so much about Americans?" Sirius face fell.

"That I'm not completely sure about." Cleo sat down on the floor and rested her chin in her hands.

"I can't believe you just told me all this!" Sirius snorted.

"I'm not part of the school board I don't care!" They chuckled.

"Well its not all that bad! I can take it!" Cleo said while she smacked her hand on the floor.

"I figured you could, and have been insisting apon it the inter year but not all of the teachers agreed."

"Well why the h-e- double hockey stick not!" Cleo screeched.

"Well you are a very emotional girl." Sirius said honestly. Cleo huffed.

"I am not!" Everyone couldn't help but laugh then.

"Of course you're not Cleo!" Harry said understandably. He suddenly noticed something. "Wow! It's a pig who learned to Appreciate!" All of them cracked up widely, clenching their stomachs.

"Oh soooo funny!" Cleo sneered sarcastically. The rest of the visit was spent talking about subjects away from the more mysterious topics.

Cleo was quite sad she had to leave but, as annoying as it is to admit it, all good things must come to an end. She was walking back to the train with her friends, eating candy, and talking cheerfully to one another, trying not to spit candy out on them.

Cleo was just about to pull out a suspicious looking jelly bean when of course Charon had to rain on her parade. His ugly self was sneering up at her and she sneered back at him, her nose lifting unattractively.

**_"Tell him off!" _**A voice suggested forcefully in her ear.

"You get out of my jelly bean bag! Theirs enough nasty beans in there as is!" Harry, Ron and Hermione stopped and glanced into the bag to see what exactly was bringing her to yell at her candy. Then something strange and potentially dangerous happened. Charon stopped smiling. He tilted his head in a confused manner and no trace of his arrogant smile remained. Cleo could fell a gasp coming on.

"Can you hear me?" She hissed. His face spontaneously vanished and Cleo nearly dropped her bag.

"What is it Cleo? Did you see Charon?"

"I didn't just see him! I spoke to him!"

"Honestly!" Ron's voice quavered.

"And he heard me! We need to find Dumbledore… now!" Cleo, without bothering to get their responses sprinted to the train and delivered her urgent message to her headmaster.

Dumbledore agreed that this was indeed a strange and potentially dangerous happing. He left to discus this with his people when Cleo went to discuss it with her people.

"Tell us exactly what happened in every intimate detail!" Harry forced apon her. They all sat down so that they could watch Cleo's presentation.

"So I was eating my Bertie Bots every flavor beans and I was just going to inspect a nasty lookn' one when I saw Charon. I told him off and he stopped smiling!" (Gasp) "He was like this." Cleo said, demonstrating his look.

"So he heard you?" Hermione whispered dramatically.

"Exactly! That means he must be getting stronger! If he keeps going at this rate he could have full form by the end of the year!"


	13. Chapter 13

**Cleo Chestra and the Wizards of America: Chapter 13**

"Ouch! That's gotta hurt!"

The teachers were constantly careful around Cleo now. If she was tired, they wondered why. If she was irritable, same case. Cleo was so close to going crazy by that time anyway it made sense that she was tired! At least she had the next Quidditch game to look forward to. She could never get over how gracefully the players flew, and how wonderfully violent it was! It was like football with wings! It seemed that this was all that was on the schools mind, or at least Slitherin and Gryffindor's minds. This was something that made Cleo excessively happy. Morning, noon and night she was gossiping with Harry, Ron and occasionally Hermione about the game.

At times Harry even tried to act as if she was superior in his knowledge of Quidditch, at which point She would have to remind Harry that she had read All four books four times, so she should know _something_ about Quidditch! That would be when Harry would refresh her memory that his father was a seeker, and that harry was infract Harry. This was a minor irritation however compared to Malfoy's personality disorders, under the misunderstanding that he knew more then the both of them together.

"Malfoy's been strutting around with the idea he could beet you to the snitch." Ron spat irritably, with a glare over at the little ferret himself.

"Well that's a load of rubbish! That weasel…no offence Ron, he hardly knows how to sit on the broom much less catch anything on it!" Harry growled defensively.

"Yea, I think his ego is clouding his vision." Cleo sneered. They laughed. Hermione continued the conversation.

"I heard Lindsey talking to some girls and said that Malfoy could beet Harry's :clears throat: any day."

"Well of course Lindsey would say that about her beloved boyfriend." Cleo said quite catty.

"They fancy eachother?" Ron gasped, much like a gossiping girl in the locker rooms of her middle school.

"Isn't it obvious? She's been a flirt all year with him! I'm surprised they're not engaged! You know they're not a bad couple." Cleo said as an after thought.

"Well all I know is you can easily shove that snitch in Malfoy's face by Thursday." Hermione said confidently. Harry smiled at her.

Come Thursday there was some serous rivalry between the two houses. The hospital wing was full of cursed students who had opposite opinions of who would win the games. One already freakish looking Slytherin girl had another ear growing out of her forehead, and a wagging tongue occupying it. Her oponate was left with itchy boils the size and shape of footballs arising from her ruffle hair. These physical disturbances were luckily the worst. Malfoy's constant attempts to humiliate Harry were ever present threwout these ordeals. Though, he did have the humor of a third grader so none of it was taken to hart.

Finally, after many painful encounters and anticipation Slitherin and Gryffindor went head to head in Quidditch.

Cleo, Ron and Hermione snagged the highest seats in the stadium so that they could get the best view. Then after the rest of the less obsessive students arrived, the game began.

"Were sure to have a exciting game today chaps!" Lee Jordan said loudly. "Maybe the most violent as well! As I'm sure all of us had witnessed, there has been quite a bit of fighting over the past week, so I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't any blood shed here! And here comes the Slitherin team." Lee said, pushing aside the microphone to gag. This act of disgust was suddenly cut short as he saw…

"Soaring on to the field is GRYFFINDOR!" There was an uplifting roar of gladness; easily overpowering the faint boo's of Slitherin.

"Madam Hooch throws the ball and they're off! Angelina scoops up that ball and er…I think she's behind a wall. Oh, no my mistake it's Warngton." Cleo clapped her hands.

"That was not a mistake!" She giggled.

"Oh you Bas…! Warngton smacked right into Angelina and is going strait to Gryffindor goal posts!"

"Jordan!" McGonagall scolded

"Well he is! Now continuing, Katy gets the Quffle! No not that way! That way! Warngton is charging directly in front of her!" There was a good amount of screaming just then.

"BRILLIANT! A Bludger just pelted Warngton right in the stomach! That's enough to make anyone drop a ball! Katy's taking it to her advantage! She swoops under the cry baby and gets that ball! Passes it Angelina, Angelina to… NO!"

Montague flew in front of Alicia and caught the ball. Cleo groaned so loud it echoed. Alicia didn't seem to like that though. She speed right after him until they were neck and neck. Then she carefully lifted her hands and tugged at the Quffle.

"Alicia is fighting with Montague!" Lee spoke the obvious. As Madam Hooch went up to separate them Flint flew next Alicia and kicked her off her broom! She was hanging from her broom when Madam Hooch blew her whistle.

"Penalty shot against Slitherin!"

"She deserved it!" Flint sneered in a deep cracky voice.

"And you'll deserve to be taken out if you don't keep your mouth shut!" Madam Hooch said sternly and didn't stick around to hear the rest of his sentence. She threw the Quffle up and the players scattered.

"Alicia's getting her payback by speeding off to the goal posts and gets it RIGHT THREW!" Cleo screamed as loud as she could.

"That's a girl Alicia!" Then something very unexpected happened with in all the happiness. They had just tossed up the Quffle and Montague was just passing it to flint when…"

"FRED!" in a blur of horror, Cleo witnessed a Bludger knocked speeding towards Fred. Before he could duck out of the way it collided with his head, directly between the eyes. His head snapped back like a slinky, while the blunder bounced of it, as if it was most of a tennis ball hitting against a wall rather then a homicidal ball against an unsuspecting beater. Gleefully it seemed to sore, even though was bouncing into the stains right to Cleo! Without thinking she grabbed one of Hermione's thick books and struck the Bludger out of the way with all the force she could muster. It went whizzing out of the stadium, but at the time Cleo couldn't have cared less.

She was racing down the steps, dragging Ron and Hermione behind her. After the struggle of getting passed the other students, She was almost completely out of breath when she got on to the field.

"Fred!" she said in cincracy with the motion of falling her knees to look at him. All around her were the Gryffindor team mates, aura of fright all about them. Katy was even on the brink of tears, but held them back. The Slitherin team on the other hand flew above them with an opposite atmosphere of glee, laughing over the unconscious Fred. Gorge simply couldn't speak, as well as Ron. They just stood there with a clear look over their brown eyes.

Dumbledore suddenly pushed between aside Keith and Harry and knelt down to examine him. Fred's forehead was bleeding down his long nose. His eyes were half closed and his thin body was twisted about oddly.

"Is he alright Professor?" Hermione sobbed.

"Not to worry Hermione, I trust Madam Pomfrey can fix him up fine."

"In time for the end of the season?" Angelina worried. The glitter in Dumbledore's eyes stopped.

"I…don't believe so." Katy whimpered. Dumbledore stood up and put his hand on Katy's shoulder the same time he flicked his wand to lift Fred stiffly in the air.

"I'm sure you'll find an adequate if not better replacement for Fred (Sparkle in his eyes) in the mean time. You can come up to see him tomorrow."

Fred was levitated out of the whispering stadium, the sky darkling over with expectation. Cleo felt the hands of Ron lifting her off the ground to joint the Gryffindor's team tightly nit group. For one reason or another it was some comfort of them to be in suffering together. They stood in silence for a very long in the middle of the field, sobbing into one another's shoulders or staring in a cloud of misery. Madam Hooch arouse from the bench, approaching them with an air of sympathy.  
"Would you like to rematch the game until you find a suitable substitute?"

"No one could substitute Fred." Katy said, still holding back the tears that seeped threw the tone in her voice. They were all still together, walking down the hall to the dormitory after the game.

"Can you imagine? Replacing him on the team? It wouldn't seem right after everything!" Alicia said. Everyone nodded solemnly.

"You can't honestly be serous! We have to find _someone_! We won't have a chance other wise!" Angelina said frantically. Cleo could tell how horrifying it would be if you're first year as captain you lost.

"Can't we try to play without him?" Suggested Katy hopefully.

"Are you kidding? We'll all be pummeled to death! I don't know about you all but I've grown accustomed to conciseness." Keith argued. They all sat down in the common room.

"I can't do it myself." Fred spoke up for the first time. "I need help." He sounded so weak and pitiful, but without an ounce of shame joining the saddened condition.

"So we'll get someone then." Angelina settled.

"I wont my brother!" Gorge said fearsly.

"I could do it." Ron said, as if he really didn't care but Cleo could see differently. His eyes were longing for them to say yes and his hands were twisting.

"Ron you can't even hold a club much less hit anything with it!" He snapped. Ron's face was a vibrant red.

"I could hit you." Gorge began to rise, growling dramatically…

"I'd like to see you try!"

"How about Cleo!" Harry said brilliantly.

"I COULD BEAT HER TOO!" Ron snarled. Then a look of sudden shock came over him. "Wait…what was that?"

"Yeah, I'd like to have that repeated too." Cleo said nervously. The idea of having her play was madness! And then added "And you couldn't beat me Ron."

"You play!" Harry repeated.

"The idea of having me play is _madness!" _

"No! No it isn't!" Angelina agreed. "The way you smacked that ball today is worthy of a grate beater!"

"I smacked the Bludger?" she said in a semi daze.

"Don't you remember, you hit it out of the field!" Cleo sat there in stunned silence.

"Did I really?"

"Have you ever played before?" Keith asked.

"Er…sort of." Cleo said honestly, she had played beater! Just virtually, on the Internet, pretend, not real, or fatal.

"Well then, who would like Cleo to play?" Everyone raised their hands, including Gorge!

"But I don't know how to fly!" Cleo said, leaping to her feet in a complete frenzy.

"It's a breeze! I'll help!" Harry volunteered.

"But you have it in your genes!"

"He's not wherein jeans." Ron said, confused. Hermione glared at him from the corner of her eye.

"Ron, you're a moron."

"Well then it's settled. Welcome to the team Cleo." Angelina said cheerfully and thrusted out her hand. Cleo pivoted on her feet over to Gorge.

"Are you sure you really wont me to take Fred's place?" Gorge smiled.

"Yeah, who better? I think Fred will be down right glad when he hears!" Cleo laughed timidly and shook Angelina's hand. They all parted, laughing and conversing happily so that only Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Cleo were left.

"This is Wicked! I can't believe you made the team." Cleo fainted.

"Cleo!" Ron was screeching in her ear painfully.

"AH! What a way to wake up!" Cleo said, pushing him away and rubbing her ear. Harry standing over hers, freaking out most uncharacteristically.

"Why the bloody hell did you faint?"

"BECAUSE I'M GOING TO DIE!" She cried, pushing her face into the pillows of the couch that she had been moved to.

"Why? You've said you're an experienced player!" Harry insisted earnestly.

"The hell I am!" Hermione turned purple.

"What do you mean?"

"I've only played it on http/ Fom? What?" Ron spat. He was so confused and scared, it was difficult to see which one was worse! Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's stupidity.

"Two words Ron, Muggle - studies!"

"A virtual Bludger can't nock the living day lights out of me!" Cleo barred her hands in her hair. "I'm gonna die, gonna die, gonna die." She whimpered. Harry starred over her with a look of disgust crossing his face. His bottom lip overlapped his top as his hands snapped on to her frail little arms. He yanked at her and attempted to pull of the couch and then out of the dormitory. Cleo whipped her hand in a swift swinging motion over his face.

"What are you doing?" Cleo said, commanding the answer from him As his head twisted around his neck.

"Were going to go practice!" he screamed back at her, with his hand over his increasingly red face.

"In this skirt?" She said pointing to her school uniform. "You wish!" She took a quick examination at his shocked face, slowing fading into fury, suddenly knotting her mistake. "Oh, sorry…I didn't mean to hit you so hard. Let me just get my s8ter boy paints." She said with shame pushing down on her shoulder. After she had turned His laughter cut the air when he exclaimed "your going to be one hell of a beater!" Soon Cleo and Harry were out on the field. Ron and Hermione and taken refuge up in the stands.

"Here, I'll let you use the Firebolt, but be careful." Harry said cautiously. Cleo rolled her eyes and nodded. She knew perfectly well when he said to be careful, he wasn't thinking of her well being rather then the firebolt.

"I will." She actually did a good job getting on the broom even though She had sat on it wrong in the beginning, but Harry showed her the right way to get on it. Once the obvious was shown to her, the broom lifted her gently of the ground. It cradled her a few feet a moment before mischief brought the broom to the utmost attention. With a glance at harry, she snapped the broom up, like she had just kicked a horse in the sides, and as if the broom was equally gleeful it shot her up into the air. The wind whipped at her pink face, tearing up her eyes, and putting a larger smile on the strikingly large smile already present. She could understand why Harry had been so deeply in love with the game the moment he had touched the broom, and then suddenly wondered why his patronus hadn't be strong enough when thinking of this flying sensation.

Surprisingly enough Harry was an outstanding coach. Along with showing her how to get on right, he also showed her how to slow down, go faster, and flip around, all that good stuff! In a matter of minutes she was flying just as well as him! Then he brought out her club and the Bludgers.

"Ok, don't freak out. All you have to do is hit it, for now." Cleo took a deep breath and grasped her club tightly in her hands when she flew up on her broom.

"Are you ready? I'm going to let them out now." He warned her. Cleo gripped her club tighter. Then, a whizzing sound told her that the balls were out. One came up behind her, another in front. She held out her club and spun around in a circle and hit them both. One went into the stains but another came back.

"Shhhhhhhhiiiiii…!" She hissed and flew as quickly and as hard as she could, which was quite far. It, along with the other was going over to Hermione and Ron, who were sliding down in their seats.

"Oh no you don't!" She spun over to her friends and hit the balls away from them. It was hours before Harry let her come back down. Her arms were hurting and she was felling extremely sweaty, but energy still shown in her glittering blue eyes.

"I need to check out that web sight!" Harry exclaimed. "You did grate!" Cleo shrugged and smiled.

"Well, I have a good coach." Ron and Hermione walked down drowsily. Hermione smiled at her and walked ahead to Harry. Ron and Cleo walked together.

"You did good." He said quietly. Cleo rubbed his arm that she had been clinging on.

"Are you ok with me doing this?"

"Its fine. If my own brother prefers you over me then fine."

"Ron don't be a prat!" She snapped. "It had nothing to do with weather he prefers me or not."

"It doesn't matter! Your just better than me and, and, and I'm not good!" he stuttered madly.

"Ron you stop that and you stop that right now!"

"Why?"

"Because your going on a downward spiral of self pity which is unnecessary and frankly sickening. Quidditch is not important! Gorge still cares about you, you never know what he was thinking when he said that! He could be regretting it right now." Ron gave her an unbelieving look. Cleo kissed him.

"I can't say anymore. Its either you believe me or be miserable for the rest of the week." Ron stood silently for a while. Soon enough he put his arm around her and kissed her back.

The gloominess of Monday, Cleo's feared was a reflection of the visit with Fred. What her team mates didn't seem to conceive, was that coming to visit someone and telling them that you have been replaced isn't very welcoming. She could just imagine it _"Hi Fred, how you feeling? I took your place on the team, bye! _Every time she thought about it she groaned.

But no one seemed to particularly care so she was dragged into going anyway. Down the dark, empty, echoing hall into the musty smelling hospital wing.

Most of the beds were empty, so when the curtains were pulled around the next to last one, it looked a little random. Katy scuttled over to the bed and went threw the curtains. _Oh honestly child, don't make it so obvious. _Katy knelt down by the bed and looked into Fred's ashen face. He didn't look healthy at all. A bandage was around his head at a tilt, his stringy red hair falling over it. His hand was up to his head, but had fallen lifelessly.

"Fred? How are you felling?" His eye lids twitched, and after a deep sigh he opened them. They were almost gray, but brightened when he saw them.

"Oh! Well this is pleasant!" he said cheerfully, with what seemed all the energy he had.

"Are you feeling alright?" Angelina wondered. He tilted his head in a negative motion.

"Well I was, before Madam Pomfrey told me I wouldn't play the rest of the year." Cleo bit her lip. He knottiest her at that moment.

"Oy! Cleo! What you doin' here?"

"She's going to replace you, just until you get well again." Angelina said. Cleo silently groaned. Fred's eyes shifted over to her.

"Cleo?" He said. _Oh, don't act so shocked. _

"You weren't conscious she smacked the Bludger out of the field during the game! It was amazing!" Harry said, and winked at her.

"Wow, I'm impressed." Fred admitted. Cleo let out a sigh.

"I was afraid you would be upset that I replaced you." Fred snorted.

"Honestly! I'm glad, I don't wont to loose the Quidditch cup!" Even beyond his words, he was in fact a little hurt but not enough let that get in the way of the team. After that they mostly talked about knew plays and so on and so forth, nothing extremely interesting. And at the end of their visit (or really, their time was up according to Madam Pomfrey) Fred reminded them…


	14. Chapter 14

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 14

"Its game time!"

The replacement game was only a matter of days away. The Slytherin team insisted that it be the next day, but Madam Hooch allowed them more time to train Cleo. Slytherin just said they were cowards. Lindsey took part on this by taunting Cleo every time she came close to her.

"Are you sure _you_ weren't the one hit by the Bludger? You must be crazy thinking you could play Cleo!" Cleo was fingering her wand then but Hermione took her by the arm and led her to their History class.

Threw out all of this Angelina requested extra practices…EVERY NOON AND NIGHT! But who's mad? By half way in the week Cleo was a real prow at her job, and wouldn't let a Bludger slip threw her fingers. Angelina had no doubt in her mind that they were gonna win. And not to toot her own horn, but Cleo agreed, and for the teams sake they had to!

The only problem they had was that Cleo was still in need of a broom. She had been trained on Harry's Firebolt but the very idea of using the school's broom during the game made Cleo sick! Harry assured her that they would give her one soon enough but as the days passed and the game drew closer Cleo was beginning to loose faith.

She was sitting at breakfast, re-playing plays in her head when mail came. Stephanie flew in as usual and started picking at her bacon.

"I swear you're the fattest owl in the inter school!" Stephanie hooted proudly and went back to Cleo's breakfast.

"You know, instead of pigging out you could try bringing me my broom." Stephanie encored her except for a sarcastic hoot when a large bran owl flew over her and dropped an enormous sick of wood.

"Oh! I see how it is! Lay all the hard work on another owl!" Cleo pet Stephanie and opened her package for Hermione, Ron and Harry to see. There it was, gleaming gold was her own personal Firebolt 2!

Harry gasped.

"A Firebolt 2! Cleo I hate you!" Ron laughed.

"Finally someone with a better broom than Harry!" Harry sneered at Ron. Ron kissed Cleo and Hermione scram out…

"I don't think you should ride that broom yet!" Cleo ended the breathless kiss quickly and turned to look at her.

"What's the matter with the broom?" She laughed at Cleo and looked at Ron.

"Well look at him, why would you wont to ride that!" Ron grew extremely red at the comment.

"Oh, no you did not!" He said girlishly as he lifted himself from the seat to Hermione but Harry pulled down his arm.

"Put a lid on it Ron! Come on, spontaneous practice, were going to try that thing out!"

"And let you have a spin on it hu?" Cleo asked with a laugh. Harry nodded vigorously.

The broom was a dream! Not only did it look better than the original Firebolt, but it flew better. The trickier point of the other broom, such as turning and spinning were abolished. All Cleo really had to do was think it and before she was aware of it, she was turning! Quite a large improvement.

Harry awoke her brutally on Monday by shaking her. Cleo smacked him in her sleep and sat up.

"Get your uniform on and get on the field, its game time!"

"How the hell did you get in here?"

"Hermione showed me how, little trick with the want, common, were gonna be late!

"At 5:15?" Cleo spat savagely.

"Come on! I've got you up earlier than this before! I just never told you." He muttered. Cleo leapt from her bed and started pummeling him with her pillow.

"Get out of my dorm!"

"Good, I can see your arms in shape!" Harry said while he reached for the door.

"OUT!"

She was out on the field a half an hour latter.

"Now team," Angelina said importantly "One of our members aren't with us today, but I'm positive that this new team will do just as well. We've worked hard over the past few weeks and were going to win! Right?"

"Right!" The team shouted loud enough to echo in the empty stands.

"Right! Now lets go and win!" They went into the locker room and waited, mostly talking over plays and things before the game started.

It started at 10:00 on the dot, announced beautifully by Lee's voice boomed over the chatter of the crowed.

"Ready team?" Angilina asked. Cleo felt the excitement rise in her chest. Harry grinned down at her.

"Alright, here we go!" The door to the locker room banged open. Cleo mounted her broom and flew out with Gorge.

"After the injury of Grifonder team's Fred we have a new replacement beater, CLEO CHESTRA!" Cleo grinned when the Grifonder crowed roared. She spun around in honor and flew back along side Gorge.

"Although Fred can't come to the game he will be watching the game from a transmission in the hospital wing." Lee announced "Give him a wave Grifonder!" Cleo waved hard with her club. The crowed made letters with their wands that said **Hi Fred! **** **Cleo could just imagine his smiling face.

"And hears the Slytherin team." Lee groaned. After all the commotion over Fred Slytherin didn't get all nice of a welcoming. The ones happy writing in the stains turned into **BOOOOOO!****** Cleo laughed good and hard so that the disgruntled Slytherin team could hear her. Madam Hooch flew up and called them to gather around her.

"I wont a clean game, from all of you!" Cleo sneered over at Derrick and Bole, the two nasty looking beaters of Slithering team.

"Be careful Mam, wouldn't wont to brake a nail." Derrick said.

"Same to you young lady." She taunted back. He spat on the ground and focussed back on the ground. Gorge patted her on the back. The snitch brushed passed her ear and zoomed off some where, Cleo decided to leave that business to Harry. Next came the Qwoffle. The chasers dashed after it, leaving Fred and Cleo to dart them to get the Bludgers that came up last. One Gorge went for right away, the other had disappeared. Panic grew in Cleo's stomach, she just lost the Bludger, what would happen if she couldn't find it!

Suddenly Cleo found it! But not where she wanted it. It was currently attempting to pin Alisha as she grew closer to the goal posts. The primal defense built up in her little body and like an animal, went after it with strength imaginable. She thrusted the club up against the ball, only secents after speeding towards it and smacked Derrick upside the head with it.

"Oh! Do you won't some powder for that?" Cleo laughed at him.

"Alisha is taking that Qwoffle to the Slytherin goal post, might wont to get her Slytherin Chasers! NO! NOT QUICK ENOUGH! SHE GOT IT IN! 1 to 0 Grifonder." Cleo let a whoop out before she hit the Bludger out of her way. _Whats that? _The Bludger came back to her, with Charon's face grinning on it as if it had been printed on to it. She laughed.

"HA! You picked a bad time show up buck-o!" She battered that Bludger so hard it went speeding into the ground and got stuck there! "TAKE SOME OF THAT!" she screeched down at it. The Bludger wriggled to free its self hopelessly from the sticky mud ground. Fred hit the other Bludger out of the way and gave Cleo a high five.

"Nice!"

"Like wise!"

"And what's this? Potter's making a brilliant dive!" Cleo saw a squint of gold flay passed her and Harry just inches away from it.

"Get it Harry! Get it Harry! Cleo barked viciously. Suddenly a blur of green came up Harry's tail.

_Ooooooh! Malfoy! _ The same Bludger Fred had just gotten rid of was flying around over her head so quickly she came level to it and swung hard in the direction of Malfoy's glistening white head. Missed! It flew in front of Malfoy, but it did stop him long enough to brake his eye contact with the snitch. Cleo took a deep breath in relief.

Just as Malfoy got the clue that he should keep going Harry caught the snitch and there was a tremendous roar!

"Harry Potter caught the snitch! Grifonder wins the game!" Cleo screamed and flew over to Harry who had his hand up high in the air. She drove her broom into the ground and with a thud stumbled into his heaving chest. He rapped his arm around her waist, helping her up with a grin. Cleo laughed as her feet properly made contact with the ground, and let the roar of the crowed sink into her.

"We did it Harry!"

It crumbles

Her victory was still fresh in her pride. It took hours for them to get the Bludger out of the ground and now every time they took it out it still seemed to be dizzy. Cleo would laugh about that often, she only hopped Charon felt that!

Now that the school year was drawing closer to spring the teachers were working them harder than ever for O.W.A.L.S. Hermione did her usual study planners for them, although Harry, Cleo, and Ron completely ignored them. Cleo had gotten a refreshing boost of confidence and felt she could take on the world, much less O.W.A.L.S! Some people she knottiest weren't as confident.

Hermione had started getting quieter and more solemn than normal. She was often bitter, especially when Harry would be gone some place. (He had been strangely busy lately.)

Cleo was getting ready for bed when she confronted Hermione on this.

"What's up Hermione? You seem a little down lately." Hermione was silent.

"Well?"

Hermione blurted it out quickly, although the way she said it, it sounded painful.

"I'm worried about Harry and Me." Cleo turned around in her seat to look at her.

"Why do you say that?" Hermione frowned

"His eyes just seem more distant now. And we don't hug or kiss or anything like that like you and Ron do!" Cleo tilted her head.

"Harry's not a very touchy person, most guys aren't."

"Yeah, well we still seem to be drifting."

"He's been preoccupied lately, it might just seem that way because you haven't seen him as much." Cleo compromised. Hermione still looked doubtful, leaving Cleo option was to sigh.

"Listen, why don't you try getting some sleep. It may seem better in the morning. I'll see myself if theirs and obvious differences in him K?" Hermione nodded woefully and slept.

The next morning Cleo helped Hermione straiten and curl her hair. (She put her own hair in a loose braid so her natural curls hung over her fore head.) And they went down to breakfast.

Ginny and Harry were already down there, eating waffles and conversing with each other. (Ron was still sleeping, being the weekend.) Cleo smiled and skipped over to Ginny.

"Hay girl, haven't seen you much!" Ginny's little brown eyes smiled when she hugged her.

"Hi."

Hermione waved to her. Harry glanced over at Hermione and smiled awkwardly.

"How have you been?" Cleo inquired. Ginny's eyes were dancing.

"Perfect! Just splendid!" she said breathlessly.

"Oh yeah? How So?" Ginny's smile faded when she turned around look at Harry questionably. After some telepathic talking to Ginny, Harry nodded and asked Hermione to come over next him. Hermione's eyebrows twitched in a confused manner when she went over to sit beside Harry. _Don't worry! It will be alright! _Cleo's thoughts ushered Hermione. Harry spoke quietly; to Hermione so that even Cleo's sharp ears couldn't catch it.

She wished she had, because the next second Hermione looked simply horrified and turned a bright red. Tears steamed down her cheeks when she leapt from her chair and ran from the Hall. Ginny bit her lip and looked at Harry.

"Wha…?" Cleo rambled. Harry looked up sadly and shook his head. Cleo turned, then swiftly skirted over to go get Hermione.

When she found her she was curled up under her covers crying.

"Hermione! What happened sweet one?" Hermione kicked off her covers and sat up.

"He dropped me for Ginny!" Cleo sat silently. Ginny? Well, she had preferred Ginny going out with Harry while she was reading the books, but she never wonted to have Hermione be hurt!

"Oh Hermione, I'm so sorry!" Cleo rapped her arms around her; Hermione's tears soaking into Cleo's black Pokka dot dress. It almost seemed hours as Cleo rocked her then at last her tears subsided.

"I just don't understand Cleo! What did I do?" She sobbed.

"Nothing! Don't think that!"

"Then why has this happened!" She demanded. Cleo starred at her hopelessly.

"It just wasn't meant to be I suppose." Hermione shook her head and continued crying. That's when the hart breaker himself appeared. He was slipping threw the door and Cleo tried to motion to him to leave but he didn't.

"Hermione?" She lifted her head slothfully and spotted him. Her eyes flared and she looked away.

"Your not supposed to be here, you could get in trouble."

There wasn't much talk between Harry and Hermione after that. Ron was informed that day of the brake up and the only good that came out of the silence between Harry and Hermione was it gave Ron and Cleo more time to strategize.

"We can't let them go on like this! It will brake up our friendship!" Cleo said to Ron. He nodded agreeably.

"I know, they're both just so miserable! I don't think Harry meant it to be so hard on her."

"I know! Hermione isn't usually this emotional, but I'd probably be the same way if it happened to us!" Ron shook his head.

"That wont happen." Cleo smiled at him.

"How dose Ginny feel about this?"

"Well she sure isn't singing! She feels just as bad, been crying too."

"Well why didn't she think of that? She knew Harry and Hermione were going with each other!" Ron scowled.

"Cleo! She can't help how she feels!" Cleo breathed deeply.

"I'm sorry…I just wont us all to be happy again."

Hermione came downstairs with red eyes and cheeks. Cleo jumped up and hugged her.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione looked up at her and frowned.

"Hermione, Harry didn't wont this to happen this way." Ron spoke desperately. Hermione's eyes got soft and moist again.

"Oh, please don't cry Hermione, it will be alright!" she nodded and sat down. Harry was about to come down the stairs, but took one look at Hermione and turned around.

So went on for weeks! Harry and Ginny would sit together, then Ron, Cleo and Hermione on the end.

There was no speaking.


	15. Chapter 15

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 15

Not much there

The stress over Harry and Hermione was unbearable! Cleo hardly ever got to talk to Harry these days, only when they were in Divination. Cleo sat down at their usual table and smiled at Harry.

"Haven't gotten to talk much over the past few weeks." She said, trying not to make it sound like the conflict was something as temperamental as her going some where. He frowned.

"Maybe if you and Hermione stopped being so stubborn we could get over this!" Ron said with sudden viciousness. Harry snapped his head up at Ron.

"It's not my fault!"

"Its just as much your fault if you do nothing to stop it." Cleo pointed out motherly, and then lowered her head. Harry said nothing and stayed away from the subject of Hermione.

It seemed however, that they weren't the only ones with relationship problems. Hermione and Cleo were walking down the hall to go to History at which moment they saw a crowed around two girls.

"Oh no! Not another Slytherin fight!" What Cleo didn't expect however that it was Lindsey and Pansy Parkinson!

"You just stay away from Malfoy get it?" Pansy spat wickedly.

"I can do anything I like! And obviously Malfoy has taken to me instead of," She stopped to scan Pansy over "You." Pansy growled and pulled out her wand. Maybe it was Cleo's natural instinct to help anyone in need, or she just didn't want to see Lindsey road kill but she did it all the same.

"Stop!" Before Cleo was aware of it she had stepped in front Lindsey and Pansy. It could have been her just her realizing that what she had done, but Cleo had felt a rush of cold and weight lifted from her small body. Hermione gasped. Cleo turned around to see what Hermione had gasped over and saw. Her hair brushed against her arm; at a shorter length then she ever remembered having.

Cleo shrieked after she realized what happened and swerved on Pansy. Cleo felt like blasting Pansy, exploding into tears or just stand their looking at her beautiful red, black, and gold locks laying around her feet.

She had lifted her hand to strike her but stopped. Her lip trembled and ran passed Lindsey to Hermione. Some of the more obnoxious girls laughed.

"Too afraid to fight?" One of them called. _To little moral? _ Cleo thought as tears scanned her cheeks. Hermione stroked her back (normally she petted her hair). Collectively Hermione moved over in between Lindsey and Pansy and gathered the hair with a flick of her wand. It twisted into an enormous braid and laid softly in her outstretched arms. Hermione very slightly sneered at Pansy and walked Cleo up the stairs to Grifonder tower.

(She said that they could explain to their teacher the situation, Cleo was immensely grateful) Hermione let her cry on the bed while she comforted her, just as Cleo had done. This went on for a half an hour or so, until Ron had made his entrance.

He was very red (almost steaming) with a blood thirstily look apon his long face and a cut above his left eye. Harry came in after him. He had a bruise on his chin, still rising and a long cut on his arm.

Cleo looked up from Hermione's arm, where she had burrowed in and confronted them, motherly. Ron shook his head and growled.

"That little (RON!) Got her payment for this! She'll think twice about messing with my girlfriend!" Cleo realized he had beaten the absolute crap out Pansy and began to snicker.

"You didn't honestly get in a fight with her did you Ron?" She said threw gasping breaths.

"No," he admitted, "Harry helped me!" Harry beamed delight at his recognition while Cleo clapped her hands.

"Harry! You should have been holding Ron back!" Hermione scolded. Harry shook his head.

"No, a weeks detention isn't enough punishment to keep me and Ron from giving her what she deserved. Ron sat over next to Cleo and hugged her.

"Are you alright baby?" He said affectionately. Cleo nodded.

"Yeah, Its better knowing I have friends that care enough about me to go beet someone up." Harry sat over next to her.

"Were always going to be friends. Right Hermione?" He said slowly over to her. She was still looking disapprovingly at him but soon her eyes softened.

"Yeah, always."

He's here

At last Harry and Hermione had cast away their bitterness and were on speaking teams, about time! Cleo was about to smack them, see if it got any sense into them. Except for the fact that Harry was going out more with Ginny, it was just like it was before! One thing that was not surprise to Cleo was that Ginny was not included into their group. She was merle 'Harry's girlfriend and Ron's little sister' and even though Cleo liked Ginny she agreed that it was best.

The news about Cleo's hair spread around like a wildfire. Completely random girls were gobbling what was left of Cleo's hair (It reached her elbows now) and whining.

"It was so pretty!" They would say and go on talking about their own hair and saying how _they _wouldn't cut it if they were her! Like it was her fault!

Ron and Harry were in detention for a week or so, but Pansy was in for a month! Not menacing all the rood remarks from the Hufflepuff, Grifonder, and Ravenclaw houses. It took all of Slytherin to stand up to them. Cleo didn't really like the whole rivalry thing between the houses, but she did she couldn't deny that she felt special everyone cared so much.

Soon, but slowly everyone got over the commotion and classes (and O.WA.L. studies) were back to normal.

Charms seemed to be the happiest of all. Professor Flitwick was ecstatic with glee and more than happy to take time out of her day to help her with her new spell. It was a spell that could transport people to different countries! It was so neat, and Cleo got the hang of it quick!

She simply couldn't be happier herself. Not to mention Spring time was the best time to her. Every weekend Cleo badgered Hermione, Ron and Harry to go outside. (Classes were rather stuffy.)

They were outside this day. Harry and Ron were conversing about some gibberish, (nothing interesting) Hermione was reading "Magical Me" and Cleo was laying on her stomach staring at the peaceful looking forbidden forest.

How lovely it seemed, the sweet chirping of the birds, sun glistening on the shinny leaves of the trees. She just had trouble believing anything so beautiful could be so dangerous! Sure, there were all these Spiders, and senators and everything, but as long as she stayed away from the very deep part of the forest she could avoid the Spiders, Senators aren't dangerous and all that about Werewolves was just talk sense Lupin had left. (At least that's what Cleo thought.) She was just convinced nothing could go wrong, no certainly not.

"…'Yall" she said thoughtfully

"Yes?" Hermione answered for them.

"I think…I think I might go into the forest." Hermione grabbed her arms tightly like a flash of light and turned it a lovely, but violently sick purple.

"Get off!" Cleo said, wrenching her arm away. Hermione shook with her sweet caring fright.

"Cleo don't you even think about that!"

"It's so dangerous! You can't! You don't know what's in there!" Ron screamed at her. Cleo rolled her eyes.

"Oh honestly Ron, Spiders gonna scare you?" Ron shuttered.

"8 foot tall ones yes!"

"Ron, just use logic!"

"And you can talk!" Harry said scanning over her.

"Just stay away from the deep of the forest! Senators aren't dangerous, and all that about Werewolves is silly!"

"Cleo stop being Juvenile! That just all we know_ so far!_ There may be other things!" Harry told her off. Cleo did her usual smirk when she thought she knew something.

"Bring my wand then." She said, flicking it up to show them. Hermione's purple faded into a sudden, good shade of red.

"Cleo, as your friend I FORBID you EVER to go in there." Cleo was a little blown back by her contumacious.

"Alright." Beyond her words the evil, Cleo leered.

She simply longed to go in there. She missed the forest, often at home she would stay in forests for a long while and this was the only forest in all of Hogwarts.

As Cleo allowed the muted thoughts of sleep cross over her that night, the mischief idea of the forest re-awoke her the bluntness of being awake. Cleo couldn't sleep when she thought of this, even when she tried so hard to let her thoughts wander back into sleep, nothing else helped, nothing else could fill her mind, nothing at all.

Slowly she took of the covers and dressed. With a last check that Hermione wasn't awake she put on her cloak and swept out of the school.

It was completely black outside, except for the glittering stars that seemed to blink down at her with confusion, as if asking why she was awake. Quietly and quickly she moved into the Forbidden forest.

It smelled sweet and any form of something frightening was wasted on her, it was just too wonderful then!

She needed to find the perfect place to sit. At home she had a large Rock to would lay on and read a book. Many hours were spent there. She determined that it was too difficult to find anything in this light so she turned on her wand. Something stirred but Cleo choose to encore it. Finally she found a commensurate sitting spot. She pulled out a book she had brought along "The Witches" by Ronald Dole. Silently she sat, reading about the poor mouse when yet another thing moved.

_Leave it alone, you mustn't disturb it. _She told herself. Still the creepy feeling was ticking her back. All at once something grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into itself. She began to scream but its large hand gripped her mouth.

"Don't scream." A soothing voice whispered. "It would molest the future if I were to hurt you." Cleo nodded to signal she understood and turned to look at the creature. It was Firenze! He was standing magnificent, yet benign. Cleo breathed deeply in relief but he seemed to resent it.

"Foolish!" he scolded "Coming here when Mars is so bright! Don't they teach you warning sighs in that school!" He stopped abruptly, said too much Cleo guessed. Cleo put on a serous face out of courtesy.

"Sorry, no." Firenze frowned.

"Why are you here?" he said powerfully.

"Hogwarts is so cold sometimes, there isn't a bit of nature in it! I missed the forests, and this was the only one in the inter grounds…" he stopped her there.

"That doesn't make it any less dangerous, especially at this time and especially for you."

"Why for me?" Cleo asked, or course she knew why, but there was more she wanted to know and he may be able to tell her, she could weasel it out of him, maybe, hopefully. He starred down at her, so powerful, sweet and some what frightening. She felt the sudden shame rise from her stomach and cloud her mind until Cleo nodded obediently. Firenze gave a nod in return and looked to the edge of the forest.

"You're close enough to the brink to get out yourself. Take heed, and be observant. You're too very important to be so careless my child." Cleo felt a little weight at the bottom of her hart when she turned to go on. Quite randomly, the thought then struck her to ask what a bright Mars might mean when she found that Firenze had left.

Now the Forest seemed almost creepy after he warning, but the edge was close and she held on to her courage as long as she could. She looked up at the heavenly stairs that soothed her so, many more coming into view as she went on. She could even see some of the planets, including Mars. She stopped rigidly to stair and felt the fear grip in her thin throat.

Mars was bright, and even if it was just her imagination it seemed grim and evil. She began to fidget with her hair and seemed unable to move. A torturous scream rung in her mind. _Oh gosh, this isn't good, come on move! _A grate force swept over her body like ice cold water. _MOVE! MOVE! _ Tears groped her throat as the sudden clutching nails of Charon grabbed her around the waist.

"I have you now!" He said in an exhausted, triumphant way. Of course now Cleo could move. She kicked and screamed; hitherto silently pulling out her wand. Charon seemed too worked up with her struggling to knottiest the wand creeping closer to him.

"Get off me! Get off! _TransportaretoAUSTRALIA!" _She said so quickly she feared it wouldn't work, But it had! She had transported him to Australia! _Ha! Those Australian's will take care of him, that's for sure! _She looked back up at Mars. Disappointment made the brightness dull, and Cleo smiled.

Even though Cleo was tired and sore from her expiation, she made it to the girl's dormitory quickly. The thought of bed was good right about now.

As she opened the door, she saw something that she hadn't expected. Rather then a dark room filled with sleeping girls it was a bright room full of awake girls. Hermione, Patty, and Lavender were all together whining and frantically talking to each other. At the sound of the creaking open door Hermione turned and gasped.

"Oh my gosh!" She ran over to her and flung her arms around the stiff Cleo.

"I was so worried!" She said when she released her. Patty and Lavender hugged only seconds after.

"We were too! Where were you?" Cleo felt ashamed and didn't wont to tell, but what else would she say.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Go on back to bed 'yall. Its too late to be getting so worked up." Lavender made a puppy face.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Cleo laughed.

"Yes of course!" She hugged them again. "Go on! We have to Study for O.W.A.L.S. again tomorrow." They at long last left to bed and left Hermione and Cleo to themselves in darkness. Hermione sat on her bed and examined Cleo.

"What didn't you tell them?" Worry crossed her innocent face "will you tell me, wont you tell me?" Cleo bit the inside of her lip. Yes she at last said, she would tell her as the dooming thought crossed her mind sat wearily on to her own bed.

"You went to the Forest didn't you!" Hermione yelped. "You promised! How could you go back on your word!"

"Hermione I'm sorry! But I had a Purpose there! It was fait!" Hermione snorted.

"Fait! Honestly! What sort of fait then?"

"When I went there, I saw Firenze. He told me that Mars was bright and that It was too dangerous for me to be there, and he was right! ("What gave you that idea?" Hermione huffed) Charon attacked me, again." Hermione stopped and starred.  
"Cha-Charon? Cleo, where is he?" She said frantically. Cleo tried her hardest not to laugh.

"Australia." Hermione looked at her blankly.

"What?" Cleo couldn't contain it any longer. She laughed and clapped.

"That spell I learned in charms, I used it on Charon and he's in Australia!" Hermione tried to look stern but failed and laughed along.

"Honestly Cleo you're a moron!"

"But you see don't you, a bright Mars must mean some sort of danger! What kind of danger is the question." Hermione shook her head.

"I don't know, lets figure it out tomorrow, I'm worn out." Cleo agreed and slept.

It was an odd sleep as a matter of fact. She continued to dream that Mars was getting brighter. Finally Cleo grabbed it out of the sky and smashed it. There was his one guy who came up to her; Janus who stopped her half way threw her distraction and told it would be alright. Whatever.

At very long last the sun rose and all was good. Cleo leapt from her bed like a spring and pulled Hermione out of her slumber.

"Cleo, I'm glad to see you're interested in learning but this is ungodly!" Hermione said when she was fully awakened.

"The boys are already awake." Cleo said. Hermione gave her a quizzical look.

"Cleo, not even on Christmas do they wake up this early, or at least not voluntarily. What gives you he idea that they're awake now?" Cleo contained her amusement. Before she went to sleep last night she had put a spell on them. When she woke up, water would instantly poor on them and wake them.

"Just know." Hermione decided she preferred not to ask, so she dressed and went to see the boys down stairs. They were already dressed (with stringy wet hair Cleo knottiest!)

"Gosh boys, get a prank pulled on you?" she said innocently. Harry saw threw her like she was glass, even though his own glasses were fogged and soggy.

"You little Witch!" Cleo laughed.

"Way to state the obvious! But seriously, we have something important to discuss."

"Must be to wake us up that way!" Ron sneered.

"Its is!" Hermione vouched for her.

"What?"

"Mars was bright!"

"WHAT?" Cleo sighed. _Honesty I love them but they're all clueless. _

"Last night I was in the forest (she ignored that gasping and swearing at her from the boys) and I came apon Firenze! He told me that Mars was bright and I would do good to get out while I could."

"You would've done well to listen to our warning in the first place!" said an acrimonious Harry.

"HARRY IF YOU WILL JUST LISTEN YOU WILL SEE THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT!"

"ITS IMPORTANT THAT YOU LISTEN TO US!" Cleo took a deep breath while still glaring at Harry.

"If it makes any difference to you I saw Charon in his _full form _and he _attacked _me! _Just last night!" _Ron turned a pasty white.

"You saw him! Cleo what happened, tell us now!" He demanded.

"Well, he attacked me and I sent him to Australia…"

"Australia? Blimy! Your ruthless Cleo!" Ron spewed out, between surprise and amusement.

"But that's not important now," Cleo persisted "What is important is that Mars is bright and that Charon can reach his full form!"

"What dose a bright Mars mean!" Harry said impatiently. Their Cleo had no explanation, and was rather embarrassed to tell the truth. Hermione thought a moment before speaking.

"Well…Mars was the Greek god of war. Perhaps…certainly when the planet Mars is bright that means some war or struggle is going to happen."

"Yeah! That must be why Charon attacked you when Mars was bright." Ron said. Hermione made a little croak before they started congratulating her on her brilliance.

"What is it Hermione? What's the matter?" Cleo inquired. Hermione looked about ready to tell them but stopped.

"No, I'll tell you latter."

"No you wont!" Cleo said, forcing her down into her chair. "You tell us now!"

"I've seen Charon too." She whispered.

"What!" Cleo said with all the fury she had in her little body.

"I saw him the same night you got attacked! He started laughing at me and I knew something was going to happen; then when I saw you weren't in your bed I got worried." Harry nodded.

"My scar was giving me a lot of trouble last night." Cleo hugged Hermione and put her hand on Harry's.

"I am so sorry! I swear…I'll kill that…I'm so sorry!" Ron's eyes increased in its worry and reached over to her shoulders.

"Cleo calm down. We'll deal with this guy!"

"We need to go tell Dumbledore, now!" Hermione ordered them, which they all obeyed with in a matter of seconds.


	16. Chapter 16

**Cleo Chestra and the Wizards of America: Chapter 16 **

The leering Danger of America

Besides the fact that Cleo got two days detention for going into the forbidden forest (cleaning Moaning Myrtle's bathroom wasn't all that torturous, especially when she was allowed to use her wand!) she was glad that she could help in the investigation, Lupin said this could have really cracked something!

Even though she was doing some dirty work she wore her red/gold earrings Sirus had given her for Christmas. She had started wearing them all night a day. She didn't even take them off while she was sleeping!

Cleo walked in the girls bathroom the first day on duty when Myrtle met her at the door.

"What are you doing here?" She said like some sort of guard.

"I have detention, so I have to clean that bathroom up." Cleo mumbled at seeing Myrtle's delight.

"Ohhhhhh! You have detention! What you do?" she shrilly cooed.

"Went into the forest, nothing really. I only have to do this for two days." Myrtle frowned.

"Oh. Well, I need to see if I can find that Mermaid King again. I hear he's having some trouble with his daughter!" She laughed and flew down into her grubby toilet. Cleo shook her head and began her work.

She started off by was dissolving the grime off the mirrors. This took quite a while for the spell to sink in, and even when It had it took longer for it to disintegrate. So Cleo stood there, and waiting until she could see herself before she went on to the next one.

Cleo was zoning out for a long while before saw that Charon was staring at her from the reflection in the mirror. She blinked, shocked and turned around to see if he was behind her. He wasn't. As she starred into her empty surroundings she felt her temper rising from the deepest part of her hart to inflame her round cheeks. Like a tornado she spun around at full force to stair at the grinning Charon.

"Oh your stepping on egg shells boy!" She announced. He smiled nicely. "Did you hear me? Now to stay away from Hermione, Ron and Harry! They aren't important to you!" She stepped back so she could see her inter self, and so he could see as well. "I'm who you wont! Lay off them and come after me!" She stepped back forward and picked up her wand back up.

"Now skit, These mirrors are dirty enough without you in the reflection." He didn't of course. He would go over to the next mirror after she had finished cleaning the first. She didn't really care after a while, so he eventually left.

After a days worth of work had finished she met Harry, Ron and Hermione at Grifonder common room by the fire. Perhaps it wasn't the best way to arrive, but she was grumbling about Charon.

"What's the matter?" Ron asked with his loving ways towards her. She sat down beside him and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I saw that darn Charon again today." Harry nodded while rubbing his scar.

"Yeah, I gathered that much."

"Honestly! Dumbledore and everybody needs to figure these things out! It's getting so much worse!" Hermione compromised with her.

"Well, let us tell them in the morning alright?"

It would be a while until Cleo saw Morning.

Cleo was in-between awake and asleep when she heard a scream that, although faint, sent a chill up her spine. She began to plunge into true sleep with the screaming still intact. As her minds eye plunged into deep sleep she saw the faint figure of a girl, slowly and streadly…She soon found it was Lindsey who was screaming! Lindsey stood stiffly, but held her hand out towards Cleo with the look of shear panic on her pail face. Then a hand slithered out of the murkiness and clutched her broad shoulder. Her scream grew louder and more terrifying.

Cleo leapt forward to pull Lindsey back. Then the feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you have a falling dream seemed to grab her jerk her into another place.

Cleo felt herself fall on her knees in a completely black place. There were no walls or corners, the place could have gone on forever but it felt like they were in a very diminutive room. All that Cleo was really sure was there was a floor where she had landed, for her knees were throbbing with pain. She looked up from her cut and bleeding knees and saw that Charon, Lindsey and _Voldimort_ were before her!

"Hello Cleo." Charon said weekly.

_This can't be real, I must be dreaming. _Cleo told herself. **_Move! _**A voice yelled in her ear but she wasn't quick enough.

"IMPERIO!" Charon howled evilly. Cleo felt as if she was on fire, cut by millions of knifes, shot by a thousand guns. Charon released her out of the spell and then all Cleo could feel was the cold sweat dripping down over her eyelashes.

"Did you feel that?" He asked. Cleo nodded. "Then your awake."

Hermione came back from the bathroom with her hair in braids and teeth cleaned. She causally walked threw the door, yawing and zoning out as she paid little attention to her direction of walking. Her eyes focused from its drowsy blur and saw…something was wrong. Something was wrong with Cleo. Cleo was laying on her bed looking just as she had the day of her first attack. The only difference was that Cleo wasn't screaming.

Hermione grabbed a hold of herself and ran off to get the boys.

"Ron! Harry!" She screamed while running down the hall and into the boys dorm.

"Hermione! What is it?" Harry said leaping to his feet at the sight of her. They had been sitting on the bed playing chess before she came in.

"Come quick, I think Cleo is being attacked!" Ron and Harry looked quickly at each other and ran after Hermione who was already on her way to the girls room.

They all sat around Cleo who was getting stiffer and whiter.

"Oh my god she's dead!" Ron hollered.

"No she isn't, she's still breathing!" Harry said, pointing to her rising stomach. Ron started to shake with fear.

"Then what's the matter with her?" Hermione looked about the room then started to rummage in the cabinets.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked. Hermione jumped up and pulled out the _Andswarian. _

"What's wrong with her?" Hermione demanded with fury. The _Andswarian _answered quickly as if it were afraid.

"_An evil force pulled her into another dimension."_

"ANOTHER DIMENSION!" Ron yelled.

"How do we get in?" Harry responded.

"No! We should get Dumbledore or someone!" Hermione argued.

"Not enough time, we need to get their now! How do we get into the dimension?"

"_First get your wands, Evil lies in that dimension." _The three of them were already armed with their wands and held them out.

"_Now hold each others hand and repeat this spell until you're inside the dimension. **Metirithrie!" **_They took hold of each others hands and chanted the words. Coming up from their feet, white fog began to swirl around them.

"What's going on?" Ron yelled when it reached his chest.

"Forget it, just keep chanting!"

"I knew you would come to rescue your friend." Charon said maliciously. Cleo sneered over at Lindsey who returned it most easily, encoring the fact that Voldimort was besides her, keeping a close eye.

"Her? You could just as well take her!" Cleo spat.

"Is that so?" He flicked his wand at Lindsey's neck. "So you wouldn't mind if I got rid of her now?" Cleo leapt from her throbbing knees.

"What do you wont with us!" She ordered his answer. Charon shook his head.

"It's that I _don't_ wont you, that is the problem. You're more powerful than Tomas, more intelligent as well."

"Tomas?"

"Why, your great, great, great, great, continuing," He said taking a breath as though it exhausted him, "Grandfather. He was the first American Wizard, and the last before you two were born."

"He was my grandfather?" Lindsey and Cleo said at the same time.

"No, he was both of yours." Cleo and Lindsey looked at each other and then gagged. How could such vermin be in relation to her? _Well then, it must mean…_

"Did he have any children?"

"Yes, two young girls." Charon said coolly. He didn't seem to mind explaining all of this to them; it almost seemed to relax him.

"Then the magic that resigned in him must have been passed down, generation to generation."

"But then why didn't immigrants or other families bring in magic?" Charon smiled.

"Yes, a brilliant idea in my opinion. The second they set food on American soil my curse stole their magic and I myself acquired it. Thanks to them, I have been steadily been getting stronger over the past centuries." He said, and sat down in a chair Cleo could not see. "Still," he whispered grimly "Tomas's family power grew at a more rapid rate than my own."

_If one has a purpose…_

"That is why you are such a threat to me." He said to Cleo. "Your more powerful than me, and with Harry Potter along side you and that Hermione girl both Voldimort and I are in grate danger of distraction."

"What about me?" Lindsey huffed in the background. Charon scowled at her.

"Stupid girl, you must have gotten Tomas brains besides his powers. Yes, you have some. But your attitude and ego had distorted it for you." Lindsey looked incredibly embarrassed.

"So you attacked me, just so I could be bate for Cleo and Harry." She said quietly.

"Precisely." Charon said, and happily at that and with a surprising amount of energy. Cleo almost felt sorry for her. She suddenly felt the power Voldemort's eyes resting apon her face.

"Why is Voldemort here?" Cleo said, trying her hardest not to look at him.

"Voldemort and I are partners. The two most evil and powerful Wizards together, who could stop us?"

"What if I tried to stop you?" Cleo said without thinking. Charon looked up at her as well as Voldimort.

"That's why we should kill you." He stood up and reached behind him.**_ He has his wand! _**The mysterious voice in her ear said again. Cleo squeezed her eyes tightly. _Oh my gosh! _

"CLEO! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Cleo opened her eyes and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione behind Charon. Cleo darted out of the way as the green light of death shot towards her. Charon spun around to find the person who moved his target. Harry looked about, knowing what was going threw Charon's mind when he gripped his wand tighter.

"Cleo!" **_ Catch the wand! _**He tossed her wand (that he had brought along.) to her. Effortlessly she caught it. **_Imperius Curse! NOW! _**

"IMPERIO!" Cleo screamed at Charon who was only just beginning to turn back around. Charon fell to the ground and squirmed. Hermione looked nauseous at the sight but ran as quickly as she could over to Cleo.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah I'm fine." She looked over at Lindsey and tensioned up. Lindsey was shaking hard, and radically pail. She went to go help her, but stopped suddenly at the sight of Harry.

Harry was on the ground beside Charon, gripping his head.

"Its Voldimort!" She said to Hermione anxiously. "Quick! Where is he?" Hermione looked frightened to tears. (Lindsey stood stiffly behind them, most likely in shock.)

"I don't know!" **_The creating spell! Create a Club and swing where Harry's pain is worst_**. _Where the heck is that coming from? _Cleo thought, but took…er…whatever it was…advice.

"_Creatus- _Club!" A club appeared instantly and Cleo grabbed a hold of it.

"Harry! Where's the pain most intense?" Cleo asked, walking around Charon's still body and gripping the club close to her. Harry pointed north. What seemed like a random act at the time, Cleo started swing the club all around her.

"Cleo what…?" Hermione and Ron asked.

"Just get ready!" She told them. After about five swings she hit something hard. Voldimort was invisible so that he could sneak up on them better. She thought she hit him in the stomach because he had fallen and Cleo was easy thrashing up on him.

"Make him visible Hermione!"

"_Apparere_!" She shrieked. A purple light shot towards the thing Cleo was hitting and showed… Charon, dead!

"What the…?" The five of them all turned around to look at where they thought Charon was and found the man in the cloak standing up. He took of the hood and it was indeed Voldimort.

"No!"

"_Avada Kedavra!" _Voldimort dropped dead, and behind him was Ron with his wand pointing directly in front of him.

"Ron!" Hermione stumbled with the single word. Cleo jumped on him.

"Ron! You just killed the most powerful wizard ever!" Ron was still standing with his arm out in front of him.

"What is it?" **_WATCH OUT! _**

"CLEO!" Voldimort stood back up, the spell had missed him. Cleo feel to her stomach at the sight of his own spell that shined a sinister purple.

" 'Yall! Take Lindsey and go! However you got in get out!" She jumped back up ran out of Voldimort reach.

"No! We can't leave you!" Harry said grandly.

"Harry, if you wont to be a hero, save your friends and Lindsey while you can!" She spun around on Voldimort.

"_Avada Kedavra!" _She screamed as loudly as her body would admit. Voldemort's body collided with her spell and feel to the floor like a feather. Cleo's chest heaved as she crept over to look at him.

"Are you dead _yet!" _He lay motionless, most certainly dead, for a second, but then without warning his eye snapped open.

"Not quite dead."


	17. Chapter 17

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 17

Not quite dead

Cleo felt something wet on her right leg, and twitched slightly at the feeling. Her eyes opened on the starch white sheets (All was white besides the flower petals that had wilted onto the carpeting floor.) where Ron had his head laid. She blinked for a long while before she released that he was crying. Cleo lifted her arm and stroked his hair, how ever difficult it was to do so. He stopped slowly and turned his head. He was shaking with veneration, when he looked back up to see what exactly was touching his head. When his eyes focussed on her, he looked ready to jump out of his skin.

"That the HECK! AHHHHH!"

"AHHH! WHAT IS IT!" He pulled back in his seat and knocked against the curtains.

"Ron! Stop it! Ron what is it!"

"You're supposed to be DEAD!"

"DEAD!"

"WHAT THE HECK?"

"WHAT THE HECK RON!" He was breathing heavily; gradually he crept up on the bed and touched her face, up her shoulder, to her neck and on her face. Cleo allowed him to do this; it actually felt good on her sweating face.

"Oh my gosh. Cleo your alive!" She smiled softly and stroked his hair. He rapped his arms around her neck and they simply held each other for a long while.

"I missed you." He murmured. Cleo squeezed tighter to him.

"What happened Hun?" He didn't seem to wont to tell her. His pause was long but Cleo begged him.

"In the dimension, You-know-how tricked us. You killed Charon instead of him and he…he…ki-kil…" He trailed off and shook his head. Cleo gripped on to him.

"But he didn't kill me, I'm still here!" She assured him.

"But Cleo, he did _Avada Kedavra _on you!"

"But… that doesn't make sense!" She said, least to say baffled. "Harry, he was the only one to survive it! How could I have?"

"NO! Harry Please!" Cleo stayed frozen with her hand on Ron's and looked threw the crack in the curtains. Ron did the same.

"Hermione, they're going to…bury her tomorrow. Come on." _Gosh! How dead could I have been? _ Hermione was to the point of sobbing now.

"Please Harry, anything else! I can't bear to look at her knowing she can't look back!" She was reduced to nothing but a founding of tears. Harry lead her threw the curtains because her eyes were shut tight. He turned to look sweetly at Cleo, expecting to find her dead but was sadly mistaken. His eyes grew so large that Cleo could practically see herself in them.

"What the bloody hell!" Hermione whimpered and initiated to cry even harder.

"Oh Hermione!" Cleo said automatically. Hermione stopped halfway threw a breath and opened her eyes to Cleo, she started to choke. Gasping for breath with a hand on her chest. After she gained her breath again she cried hard.

"Hermione! Its ok, everything is ok!" Hermione shook her head so hard that she turned into a large brown blur for a trice.

"No, no you're dead! You can't be alive your dead! Oh gosh!"

"No Hermione, I'm quite alive! Please stop crying I can't bear to see you cry, you know that!" Hermione completely leapt on her and squeezed around her neck.

"Never, never, never, never leave! Never, ever again. Oh Cleo it was killing me, absolutely killing me!" She gasped.

"I didn't mean kill! No not kill! He killed you!" Finally she excepted it and looked at her. "But you're alive. Everything's ok!" Cleo sighed and smiled.

"That's right, everything's ok. All ok." She hugged her and stroked her hair. Cleo whispered "its ok" to her for a long while as far as Harry spoke up.

"Everyone in the school was morning. Second year in a row someone's died! Everyone was really scared too."

"But I'm not dead!"

"Madam Pomfrey had to tell Dumbledore over and over again 'cause he wouldn't believe it! He declared your death last night." Ron told her.

"It was really sad." Hermione added.

"_But I'm alive_!" Cleo growled.

"How?" Harry thought suddenly. Cleo rolled her eyes and sighed.

"No idea! You're the only one ever to have survived Voldemort's curse Harry! And yours made sense, or more than now. Your Mum saved you from dying, but me…" Before anyone replied Cleo gasped. "What happened to Voldimort?" Harry looked at the other two and back at her.

"We'll have to start at the beginning." Cleo made an inclination, not really caring; she was rather interested in that as well.

"Hermione saw that you were being attacked and got us." Ron started "We got the _Andswarian _and asked it how to get to you."

"We said this chant thing and got into the dimension." Hermione broke thew.

"We fought for a while," Harry continued, "but just as we were going to leave you to Voldimort he…well we thought…" Cleo stopped him.

"I know _that _part. But what happened after that?" Cleo said before everyone got sentimental again.

"Well…then Ron…er…he…" Ron threw his arms up into the air.

"Honestly! Just spit it out! Fine!" He said at the sunned looks on his friends. "When I saw what happened, I ran up to you to see if you were ok. When I found out you," He cleared his throat "Anyway…I tried to…er…beat up Voldimort." Cleo tried with all her might to not laugh at Ron's idiocy.

"Shut up!" he snapped when she let some form of a snicker out. She gave him a loving look and motioned for him to come closer so she could kiss him for his efforts. (She couldn't move herself.)

"Well anyway," Hermione's quavering voice interrupted the romance. "Voldemort knocked him unconscious and we tried to kill him with _Avada Kedavra_ but he just kept pushing us back!" Harry sneered.

"I think he was enjoying it. But then this… force just pulled us back here and, I don't know what happened next."

"We thought it might have all been a dream the next day…but you weren't there." Ron said. Cleo touched his face and clutched the hands of her other two friends.

"Oh goodness. What was the force that brought 'yall back?" She asked as an after thought.

"I think the teachers got us 'cause we were back in bed when we woke up." They sat silent a while.

"Oh my gosh!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"Your Mum and Dad! Dumbledore got them today to talk, if anyone they should know you're alive!" Hermione exclaimed with an infinitesimal chuckle

"One of us should stay here to look after Cleo, who will do it?" Harry volunteered. Hermione grinned and took Ron's hand to dash out of the room. Harry waited until they had gone before he talked again.

"I still can't believe you're alive! What happened in the dimension? I just don't understand!" Cleo licked her lips.

"Charon…"

"Before you killed him?"

"Yeah, he said that you, I and Hermione could easily over rule Voldimort." She said this fleetly; she had been wanting to say it for a while now.

"The three of us?" He frowned and looked down at his feet, as he often did when he was thinking. "What about Ron." Cleo bit the inside of her lip.

"I'm worried about that…you know that Ron would do anything for us." Harry's head snapped up.

"Cleo you don't think he'll…"

"Oh! I hope not!" Cleo started to tear up but held them back. "But it still seems that he might be hurt…killed." She stopped. She had said the word that they had tried to avoid. How cold it sounded! With its added chill down her spine and thundering in her head. She clutched her hands. Swiftly she took a breath and looked up at Harry who had danger in his eyes.

"It won't happen!" He plighted. "I won't let it! Why should he suffer? Why us anyway!" He shook his head and scowled. "I hate it! I wished none of this had ever happened to us!" Cleo squeezed his hand so hard it turned purple.

"Don't say that Harry! We've done so much already! Can't you see we have a purpose?"

"What purpose!" He demanded "To have the people we love killed for our sake!"

"And save the lives of a million people after!"

"I've already lost my parents, I'm not going to loose my best friend! Don't you even care about him?" Cleo turned bright red.

"Never, ever even suggest that I don't care about Ron again." She said this so low and stern that Harry waited until the original color of her face returned. "I love Ron so much. I don't think you even know how much." Harry gave her a heathen look. "And I will do all I can In my power to save him, god Harry I wont to Marry that boy! But we must keep our mural up, if not we'll all die." Harry stayed silent for a long while. The anger in his face had died down and turned into reflection. Cleo got uneasy and shattered the quite thinking.

"Are you alright Harry?" He hesitated but nodded.

"Sure about that?" He nodded again when the sound of a swinging door rung threw the tinny room and the pitter patter of scurrying feet ran across the floor to Cleo. Expeditiously the curtains flew open and her mother dove on her. Cleo's father, Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione stood behind her and watched joyfully.

"Oh my goodness! You're alive! Ohh!" Her rapid chatter turned to bitter crying in an instant and Cleo understandably stroked her hair.

"But…how can she be alive?" Her father asked Dumbledore who was standing beside him with dancing eyes.

"I'm sure you're aware of Mr. Weasly and Miss. Chestra's relationship." He said delicately. Mr. Chestra swallowed loudly and glared over at Ron who decided to find the floor interesting. "Ron was the one who saved her." Cleo's mother let go, Ron stopped looking at the floor, Cleo's father stopped his glaring and all eyes met Dumbledore's.

"I did?" Ron said with a tremble.

"Indeed. You did very nearly the same as Harry's mother." He posed to be dramatic "Of Course it wasn't all that strong. I was simply his love for her that allowed her to live." Cleo looked up at Ron who was now blurring. Right then she said a silent prayer that Ron wouldn't die, ever.

"How did you do it Ron?" Hermione asked. Her voice was piercing; she was obviously enjoying the romance.

"I saw that she was gonna get killed. The first thing I thought of was to chant _love will save _over and over again. I saw it in this text book while we researching about America." He stopped to add "But it was just an accident." Cleo didn't mind that he had said this. It seemed that **_he didn't won't people to think he would look up such things on purpose. _**Cleo gasped.

"Its that voice again!" She bellowed. Mrs. Chestra's eyes were wide.

"What voice?"

"I don't know! It instructed me while I was fighting with Charon! It just told me something else!"

"It's the earrings Sirius gave you." Dumbledore said simply. "He had expected that you might get in a strife with Charon." Cleo took the earrings off to look at them. They winked red and Cleo smiled.


	18. Chapter 18

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 18

Final days at Hogwarts

Cleo healed rapidly. In the next few days she had regained her enough strength to go to classes normally and with the help of Harry and her Team mates she was swinging the club and strongly as she had before. (Fred was also healing. He could think more clearly now and was going back to classes but he still wasn't able to play.)

Cleo had become famous at School. No one knew who Charon was but still thought it was amazing that she had defeated him. Cleo had expected as much, but what she hadn't was expected was an apology. Cleo was eating lunch when Nicole pushed herself forward. Cleo looked up and smiled. She had been hurt that Nicole found her creepy, but she never liked being catty.

"Hello Nicole." She said, but not as affectionate as it could have been.

"Oh I'm so sorry Cleo!" She exploded into a tizzy. Cleo reared back and glanced at Ron who seemed to be containing his laughter.

"I'm sorry I thought you were Creepy, Your grate! You're really great! And I thought you were evil, that you had killed that man you saw but now I know it was never true, that your grate your really grate!" Cleo let this sink in and calmed her down.

"I forgive you Nicole, honestly you weren't the only one. I thought I was a little creepy myself!" Nicole smiled her week relieved smile and left with a clear conscience.

After that she had gone to Divination. Professor Trelawney had babbled on about in for what seemed like eternity.

"The fates informed me that she had such a power, they knew she would defeat him!" Cleo rolled her eyes at Harry and Ron.

"If she knew that then she could have saved me a lot of trouble by actually informing the teachers about that!" She sneered. Ron grinned and said,

"That's my girl!"

Ever sense the fight Ron and Cleo had become closer than ever. Of course everyone had been told about him saving her…although some of the children had been miss informed. One girl had come up to him and said

"Is it true what they're saying?"

"What are they saying?"

"That when Voldimort was about to kill her," She said pointing at Cleo, only an inch away from her nose. "That you tackled him and broke his wand!" Ron looked about ready to say yes but Cleo gave him a stern look and he instead laughed.

"You might not wont to drink too many unknown potions 'cause I think its giving you brain damage." The girl put her hands on her hips and strutted away.

No matter what girls came up to Ron though, he would immediately lean over to Cleo and kiss her. How Lovely!


	19. Chapter 19

Cleo Chestra and the wizards of America: Chapter 19  
Ron and Cleo 

The only thing she had to look forward to (O.W.A.L.S wasn't included) was the last Quidditch game of the season, for the first time ever, agents _RAVENCLAW_. Of Course Gryfindor took to a strut, they thought Ravenclaw was no match and to say honestly Cleo wasn't very intimidated either. Still Cleo felt a little over excited when it was game time. Angelina was pacing around the locker room. Unlike Wood who would have pored into a long speech about how they're the greatest team ever and complicated plays, she stayed silent and the only recognition they took to them was a week smile every few minutest.

"After much struggle with Grifonder's players, they bounced right back, even from death!" Cleo laughed, and she heard that much of the crowed was as well. "And now, alive and well GRIFONDER!" Cleo flew out of the locker room with Harry behind her. She spotted Ron and Hermione and waved. They waved back, grinning so much that she could see it from there. They took their positions and waited for Ravenclaw to come in. With a less interesting entrance they came in and crowded around Madam Hooch to throw up the ball.

"I wont you all to do as best you can, be fare GO!" She threw up the Quaffle and released the Bludgers. One Bludger started chasing Emily, one of the Ravenclaw beaters. Cleo laughed and smacked a Bludger that thought it was being smart by lurking up behind her.

"Angelica's in the lead, getting closer to the Ravenclaw posts. Goes to shoot…and Ravenclaw isn't fast enough! She gets it in!" A roar from the crowed and a meek boo from Ravenclaw, who seemed ashamed. The balls were thrown again and the game continued. Cleo was darting players and hitting Bludgers like a pro. By the fifth round they were up two and all Harry needed to do was get the snitch to win, but Ravenclaw could easily win by doing the same. Cleo sat in mid air tensely starring at Harry who would hopelessly look back at her. Then this tickle of air went passed her neck, it was the snitch! She squeaked and looked up and Harry. Panicking, she pointed to the speeding snitch and practically fell of her broom, she was flailing her arms about so hard! Harry took too long figuring it out and the Ravenclaw seeker was inches away from the snitch before Harry got the idea. There was a grown from Grifonder and a cheer from Ravenclaw.

"I can't believe it! Ravenclaw WON! Ravenclaw WON!"

Everyone as they left patted Harry on the back and told him it was a good try. It was obvious he didn't believe them But Cleo didn't mind herself. She thought it was nice that Ravenclaw won something for ones! Ok, Ok, she was so mad she could scream and beat all the Ravenclaw team with her club! But she still had the feast and the house cup to win.

Dinner was fab! Cleo had finally gotten used to the strange pudding concoctions and was so full she had a little trouble celebrating when they won, by a landslide! That was probably why she slept so well that night. But a haunting horror fell on to her joy, the next morning she would be leaving Hogwarts.

Cleo was awaked by a weak shaking the next morning. Hermione was glumly shaking her and frowned.

"We are leaving today." Cleo sighed.

"Yeah, I'll get dressed." Cleo curled her hair and put on a green dress that made her look tall. The boys were waiting In Grifonder common room quietly when they came down.

"Morning." Cleo said hopefully.

"It is?" Ron responded. They decided to go around the school and say goodbye. They said goodbye to the house elves that gave them complimentary snacks, To Hagrid who picked the four of them up and squeezed them to the point of no breathing and then finally the train. Cleo couldn't stand it any longer.

"Come on 'yall!" Hermione looked over at her from the corner of her eyes.

"You can't say "yall" anymore!" Cleo was puzzled.

"Why not?"

"You have a British ascent now! It sounds too odd when you say "yall" It just doesn't sound right!" Cleo laughed.

"I like my American ascent better thanks." As she laughed she looked over beside her. In the next line stood Lindsey who was staring at her. Slowly, Lindsey smiled at her. Cleo smiled back and got on the train home to America.

The End


End file.
